Classic Xmas Presents for discerning cooks

Smart gift ideas for the smart cooks in your life.

Thermapen® One Digital Thermometer

Don’t fire up the barbie or the Ooni until you have a Thermapen, and make sure it’s a Thermapen One, which gives an accurate reading in a single second. Simply indispensable, not only for BBQs, also roasts, bread and much much more. Price €86.67 Available from glana.ie

Kilner® Sourdough Starter Set

Jazz up your sourdough starter with this Kilner gift set. Two useful jars, the lids act as measuring containers, and comes with a strong silicone spatula and good strong rubber bands to measure the rise. Classy. Price €34.42 Available from Nisbets.

Teiger Dough Cloth

A revelation for cooks, particularly bread makers, the Teiger mesh makes light work of dough, whether it be on your hands, on your mixer, mixing bowls or work surfaces. The Teigers wash out easily and can go in the dishwasher or the washing machine. Price €27.23. Available online.

Coffee Scale

Everyone’s inner barista needs an pinpoint accurate set of scales to measure both the coffee and the water to make that perfect cup every single time. Dublin’s Coffee Angel have a good selection of top class gear. Prices range from €29.95-€119.95

Smokin Soul BBQ

Manufactured in Wexford by Smokin Soul bbq geniuses Pat Conway and Jim O’Brien. One of their bbq courses would also make a nice present, but they would then want the bbq then as well. Order direct from Smokin Soul. Price from €895-€1,995

Megaboom 3

From Ultimate Ears - we first saw one playing outside in the lovely terrace at Connolly’s of Leap, and those cats know a thing or two about sound design. Powerful audio, and fully water, dust and drop proof. No BBQ space should be without one. Price around €180. Order online.

The Yeti Coolbox

Coolbox, as in sooo cool. The ultimate Festival kit. Keeps things frozen for five days, or chilled for the duration of a Festival – whilst looking stunning in the process. Price €340. Buy direct from Yeti with Free Shipping.

The Icon Food Flask from Thermos

Changed little over more than 100 years, the Food Flask from Thermos is, indeed, iconic. Good for soups, noodles and cold dishes too. The little spoon, hidden in the lid is a delight. Around €30 in hardware shops everywhere.

Kambukka

We first bought one of these in Maher’s Coffee in Cork and, after we’d found they’d sold out, bought from Kambukka direct. Honestly, the best portable coffee cup on the market in our opinion. Price €36. Buy online direct, and available in some coffee shops. Posted in seriously funny boxes.

Chef & Sommelier Tasting Glasses

The C&S Open Up Pro Tasting glasses are the house glass in Cork’s magical L’Atitude 51 wine bar, and if it’s good enough for Beverley and her crew, it’s good enough for all of us. Excellent taste projection, and tough into the bargain.

The Microplane

No kitchen can be without the Microplane grater. If you want a blessing of Parmesan, or a zest of orange, this baby does it all, with the zest dropping gently as the rain from heaven.

Oyster Knife

Actually a bucket of oysters from Ireland’s peerless shellfish farmers is a great present, and many oyster producers will also supply knives (our fav at the moment are the knives created for Carlingford Oysters). Opinel also make a knife specifically for oysters and shellfish. Price €29. Available online.

A Proper Wok

The Asia Market sell a flat bottomed carbon steel wok that works on any surface (you can also get the original shaped woks, but not every cooker can handle them.) Price €17.95 from their shops or asiamarket.ie.

Stuffed Pancake Pan

This is looking like a new trend, with the Aebleskiver from Denmark, the Appam from India or the Takoyaki from Japan. Richard Bainbridge demo’d them for us at Latitude Festival, calling them Simply Savoury Doughnuts. Audience and crew had them ordered online before the demo even ended. So, get ahead of the curve and learn how to use one. Prices start around €30 depending on quality.

Metal Cocktail Picks

Get your Gilda game on.

Ice Cube Tray

“If you want to have good cocktails, the days of having just the one crappy little ice tray are over”, writes Oisín Davis in his best-selling “Irish Kitchen Cocktails”. We recommend large square cubes. Easy to make and available online for around a tenner.