Don’t look now…but the holidays are almost here.

With budgets tight this season, what better gift than something practical for the kitchen? PDQ asked our favorite professional chefs and cookbook writers to suggest inexpensive kitchen essentials and specialty items worth splurging on. Their list, with something for every budget, includes stocking stuffers and under-the-tree presents you can proudly decorate with a big red bow.

1. Tongs
Useful whenever you need to handle foods that are hot, tongs are especially helpful if you like to grill sweet peppers, zucchini or other vegetables over a gas stove top (a great way to intensify their flavor without adding fat). Versions range from purely practical grippers to elegant designs. We recommend: 12″ Tongs

2. Chef’s knife
Knives are so important in the kitchen that professional chefs travel with their own personal set. You don’t have to spend big bucks to get professional quality. If you already have a good chef’s knife, consider adding a santoku knife to your collection. The scalloped sides keep sliced vegetables from clinging to the blade. We recommend: 8″ Chef’s Knife; 7″ Santoku Knife

3. Rasp grater
Rasps create light, fluffy whirls of cheese that add flavor without piling on fat and calories. Modeled after the tool carpenters use, rasps are easier to clean than traditional box graters—and elegant enough that you can grate cheese onto a steaming dish of pasta for guests right at the table. We recommend: Microplane Grater

4. A cast iron skillet
Good-old cast iron skillets are back in vogue due to new worries about the fumes given off by no-stick surfaces heated to high temperatures. Once cast iron is seasoned, it’s as good as the best nonstick pans. (To season: wipe with cooking oil and heat in the oven for an hour at 300º.) We recommend: 12″ Skillet

5. A stainless steel sauce pan
The one drawback of cast iron: the surface discolors with acidic foods like tomatoes and lemons. That’s why every home cook should have a stainless steel pan. Pans with sloped sides allow liquids to evaporate more quickly (more of the surface area is exposed to air), a big plus for reduction sauces. We recommend: Stainless Steel Sauce Pan

6. Swivel Peeler
A great stocking stuffer. With the right tool, peeling vegetables doesn’t have to be a chore. Swivel peelers with easy-to-grasp handles adjust to the contours of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, from asparagus to zucchini. We recommend: Swivel Peeler

7. Vertical chicken roaster
Vertical roasters cook chicken quickly and evenly, creating moist and flavorful meat, and since the drippings go into the pan below, there’s less fat. We recommend: Vertical Chicken Roaster

8. Chinese steamer
With a Chinese steamer, you can cook vegetables, fish or chicken with a rich variety of spices and little or no oil. Stackable baskets can steam different foods at different levels. We recommend: Bamboo Steamer

9. Citrus juicer
Besides being more flavorful, fresh squeezed juice is higher in vitamins and fiber than bottled varieties. We recommend: Citrus Juicer

10. Angled measuring cups
Home cookss love these angled measuring cups, which are designed so the levels can be read from above—perfect for pouring at counter level. We recommend: Angled Measuring Cup

11. Immersion blender
With an immersion blender, you can blend soups, sauces and other foods on the stove or in mixing bowls without having to pour them into a separate countertop blender (one less thing to wash!). We recommend: Immersion Blender
 
12. Freezer-proof storage containers
Eminently practical, these containers make it easy to store leftovers. They’re indestructible, and they clean up easily. We recommend: 2 Qt Storage Container; 4 Qt Storage Container

13. Kitchen shears
Another great stocking stuffer idea. With a good pair of sharp kitchen shears handy, it’s a breeze to snip a few herbs or spices directly into a sauce or soup—a quick way to add flavor or dress up a dish. We recommend: Kitchen Shears

14. Cutting board
A cutting board is a chef’s workbench,” one of our favorite chefs said. Plastic cutting boards can be popped in the dishwasher for easy cleaning and disinfecting, but most chefs prefer the feel of a heavy wood cutting board. We recommend: Wood Cutting Board

15. A mini food processor
These little workhorses always come in handy in the kitchen, from chopping nuts to whipping up homemade sauces. Mini food processors are a great gift for anyone with limited kitchen cabinet space. We recommend: Mini Food Processor

16. Tagine
The traditional cooking pot of Morocco has a flat, circular base and a large volcano-shaped cover that rests inside the base during cooking. The cover collects moisture and returns it to cooking food. Several new models are as beautiful to look at as they are handy for making easy slow-cooked casseroles. We recommend: Tagine

17. Silpat nonstick baking mat
A great gift for anyone who likes to bake, these mats are easy to store and easy to clean. We recommend: Nonstick Baking Mat

18. Pizza stone
Pizza stones, which are made of sand compacted under pressure, absorb heat and distribute it evenly across their surfaces, making perfect crispy crusts. Stones are also great for baking bread. We prefer rectangular stones to round ones because our pizza crusts aren’t always perfect circles. We recommend: Pizza Stone

What’s on your kitchen wish list? Share your suggestions with PDQ and help make the holidays a little brighter—and more delicious.

Tags: angled measuring cups, cast iron skillets, chef knives, graters, immersion blender, nonstick mat, pizza stone, steamers, tagine, tongs