Gift Guide Week Begins: The Best Gifts for Cooks (Under $100)

I love buying stuff for my kitchen even more than I enjoy using it. There’s a thrill in purchasing something that’s beautiful and also almost virtuous, because, theoretically, you are going to use it to make amazing meals for your friends and family. To make this list fun and affordable, I am going to focus on smaller gadgets and decorative items, and not on major purchases, like appliances large and small. As always, this list is in no particular order! I love the items on this list and want them all, and I hope you will feel the same way!

1. Lipari Oil and Vinegar Bottles, $65 each: These gorgeous bottles are made of handblown glass and decorated in sterling silver, and they’re absolutely gorgeous. They make daily kitchen essentials seem somehow more glamorous!

2. Half Pint Glass Creamer, $16: This creamer is shaped like a standard little milk carton, but it’s made of clear glass, making it an amusing conversation piece that fits in with any tablescape. (And if you use the code “flare,” you get 30% off sitewide through November 15!)

3. Betty Crocker’s Box of Recipes, $17.95: Not only this is iconic red box appealingly retro, it holds a handy collection of 55 recipes for classic comfort fare! Use code “flare” for 30% off sitewide through 11/15.

4. Pizza Cutter, $36: This uniquely-shaped cutter slices through the thickest slices with ease, and looks chic doing it. Handmade of recycled steel, its rustic appeal will add style to the most mundane meals. I also love the veggie chopper and the cheese slicer from the same Alabama artist.

5. Spaghetti Scrubbers, $8.50: These eco-friendly little tools are made from recycled corn cobs and peach pits, and they effortlessly get the grimiest dishes clean with very little soap. And they look good doing it!

6. Utensil-Go-Round Spinner, $28: It’s hard to make flatware look pretty on a table, and this charming, antique-y mesh holder makes art out of the essentials.

7. Dining Room Measuring Spoons, $24: I love how this vintage-y, mismatched assortment of brass spoons adds a little elegance to an everyday task!

8. Trumpeting Twosome Shakers, $48: Let’s face it – it took a lot of will power not to create this list entirely from Anthropologie, given my well-known obsession with the store’s design aesthetic. These adorable elephants are a practical, whimsical table accent, and will work with any decor.

9. Cupcake Timer, $9: It’s easy to see how this sweet, practical timer could inspire you to bake more. My girls will love it! Use code “flare” for 30% off sitewide through 11/15.

10. Salt Cellar and Gray Salt Set, $59: I love the old-world appeal of this Italian-made ceramic salt cellar, which keeps the divine gray salt conveniently close at hand.