This post contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Gerzsi earns from qualifying purchases. Read our disclosure. Tamás is a real head chef; Gerzsi is his beaver apprentice. Every pick below comes from an independent test, linked at the bottom. Prices are the ones the testers listed; tap a button for today’s price.
From the kitchen: Gerzsi asked Chef Tamás what he wanted for Christmas. Tamás said, “New tongs.” Gerzsi said that was a terrible present. Tamás held up his old pair. “It’s the best present. I use them every shift.” So this list is mostly things like that: small, cheap, and used every single day.
The short answer
For someone who cooks every day: OXO Good Grips 12-Inch Tongs, America’s Test Kitchen’s winner (under $25).
For someone who bakes: the OXO Good Grips Large Cookie Scoop, ATK’s portion scoop winner (about $21 when they tested it).
For someone who has everything: a Microplane Premium Classic, ATK’s best rasp grater (about $19). Nobody owns two, and everybody uses one.
The tools a head chef uses every shift
Tamás uses tongs and a small offset spatula on every shift. These are the testers’ picks, not his brand choices; his reasons are in 4 cheap tools a head chef uses every shift.
- OXO Good Grips 12-Inch Tongs · under $25 · ATK winner: scalloped, uncoated heads grip precisely, and a medium closing effort means less hand fatigue.
- OXO Good Grips Bent Icing Knife (offset spatula) · under $25 · ATK top pick: its medium-length blade “made quick work of frosting cakes of all sizes.”
- Ateco Offset Spatula · under $25 · ATK budget pick: a thin blade with “the ideal amount of flex.” The handle is a little short for big hands.
🦫 gerzsi.com hack: the cake spatula isn’t for cake. On a restaurant line the small offset spatula flips fish fillets, lifts a seared scallop without breaking it, scrapes the pan for the sauce and moves a plated garnish one centimeter to the left. Wrap one for a cook who doesn’t bake. They’ll use it more than the baker would.
Thermometers
- Lavatools Javelin PT12 (instant-read) · under $25 · ATK Recommended with Reservations: about 3.9 seconds, within 0.6°F, but a short 2.8-inch probe. Great for steaks and chops; for a turkey, see our full thermometer guide.
- Polder Classic Combination (leave-in probe and timer) · under $25 · ATK Recommended: simple and accurate; tops out at 392°F.
Prep tools
- Microplane Premium Classic Zester/Grater · about $19 at ATK’s review · ATK’s best rasp-style grater. Ginger, garlic, citrus zest, Parmesan.
- Cuisinart Box Grater · about $19 at ATK’s review · the best box-style grater in ATK’s test.
- Kuhn Rikon Original Swiss Peeler (Y-shaped) · under $25 · ATK’s best overall peeler; it went through hard butternut squash skin and stayed sharp.
- OXO Good Grips Swivel Peeler (straight) · under $25 · ATK’s favorite straight peeler, for people who don’t like the Y shape.
- OXO Good Grips Carving and Cutting Board · under $25 · ATK Best Buy large plastic board: just over 3 lb with a juice groove; it bounced a little under hard chopping.
For the baker
- OXO Good Grips Large Cookie Scoop · about $21 at ATK’s review · winner of ATK’s portion scoop test. Every cookie, meatball or falafel comes out the same size.
- OXO Good Grips Medium Cookie Scoop · about $18 at ATK’s review · ATK’s best 1.5-tablespoon scoop.
- Nordic Ware Baker’s Half Sheet · about $15 at ATK’s review · ATK’s winning rimmed baking sheet. The pan restaurants actually use.
- USA Pan 9-inch Pie Pan · under $25 · co-winner in ATK’s pie plate testing.
For the cook who also fishes
- Dexter-Russell 7-inch Fillet Knife · about $13 · Outdoor Life: “All You Really Need.” Sharp, easy to resharpen, right amount of flex; the handle can get slick.
- Rapala Fish ‘n Fillet · from about $19 · Outdoor Life Best Budget. The birch handle gets slick with slime.
More for anglers in our fishing gifts guide. Bigger budget? Try the best kitchen gifts for home cooks or the Gift Finder.
Gift FAQ
What’s a good Secret Santa gift for someone who cooks?
Something they’ll use daily and wouldn’t buy for themselves: tongs, a Microplane, a cookie scoop. Cheap, useful, and nobody minds getting a second one.
Will these be cheaper on Black Friday?
Maybe. Black Friday is November 27. We check deals on our coupons page and the Black Friday hub. Under $25, a few dollars off rarely changes much, so buy early if stock matters.
Are prices exact?
No. They’re the prices the testers listed when they reviewed each tool. Tap the link for today’s price.
Small, cheap, used every day. That’s the best present.
Sources
- America’s Test Kitchen: The Best Kitchen Tongs
- America’s Test Kitchen: The Best Offset Spatulas
- America’s Test Kitchen: The Best Instant-Read Thermometers
- America’s Test Kitchen: The Best Leave-in Thermometers
- America’s Test Kitchen: The Best Rasp-Style Graters
- America’s Test Kitchen: The Best Graters
- America’s Test Kitchen: The Best Vegetable Peelers
- America’s Test Kitchen: The Best Large Plastic Cutting Boards
- America’s Test Kitchen: The Best Portion Scoops
- America’s Test Kitchen: The Best Rimmed Baking Sheets
- America’s Test Kitchen: The Best Pie Plates
- Outdoor Life: The Best Fillet Knives
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