9 Budget-Friendly Gift Ideas for Cooks & Bakers

CERAMIC SPOON REST: I treated myself to this spoon rest last year while Christmas shopping at World Market, and it’s become one of my favorite kitchen items. Find it: Mason Jar Ceramic Spoon Rest

STAINLESS STEEL STRAWS: I use these straws almost every day for drinking smoothies. This set comes with a cleaning brush, which is an essential. Find them: SipWell Stainless Steel Straws

MICROPLANER: I use this little microplaner to grate whole nutmeg, zest citrus, and shave Parmesan over helpings of pasta. Find it: Microplane Classic Black Spice Grater

REUSABLE PRODUCE BAGS: No more plastic produce bags to put in the landfill! I’ve had a set of these for a year, and they’ve held up really well. I keep them in my handbag or with my reusable grocery bags so I remember them and then toss them in the washing machine to get clean. Find them: Reusable Produce Bags

MINI FOOD CHOPPER: This is one of the most-used appliances in my kitchen. I use it to chop nuts, onions, herbs, veggies, and graham crackers for pie crusts. It’s perfect for small jobs when you don’t want to lug out the food processor. Find it: Black & Decker One-Touch Electric Chopper

COOKIE SCOOP: My mom put this in my stocking one year, and I thought, “I probably won’t use this.” Turns out, I do! I love that I can quickly scoop out uniformly-sized cookies (that bake evenly). I also use it to scoop batter into my mini-muffin pan. Find it: OXO Good Grips Medium Cookie Scoop

COOKIE BAKING MAT: I’ve had two Siplat baking mats for more than a decade and they’ve held up beautifully. I use them for everything from cookies and homemade fruit leathers to roasted veggies. This one, called the Perfect Cookie, has a template for perfectly-spaced cookies (the inner circle shows where to put your dough, the outer circle shows the size of the baked cookie). Get it: Silpat Perfect Cookie Baking Sheet

BUTTER BELL: A friend gave this to me and it sat in the cupboard for a few years before I realized what a game-changer it was. The top fits an entire stick’s worth of butter. Fill the bottom with a little bit of water, then turn over the top to form an airtight seal–so you always have soft, spreadable butter that doesn’t spoil. I have classic white but I love these stripes. Get it: Butter Bell

KIDS COOKING SET: A splurge for the kiddos! My younger son got this set for Christmas one year, and the pint-sized utensils are so easy to use and handle that I often grab them when I’m cooking. Comes with laminated recipe cards and a little apron. For ages 3 and up. Get it: Playful Chef Deluxe Cooking Set