For its annual gift guide, Fast Company asked business leaders who know the home—and some of our staff members—for space-specific recommendations.
These products will give anyone’s kitchen an upgrade, whether they’re an amateur pastry chef or someone who loves to play host. (And if you’re shopping for a board game fiend, check out our guide to living room gifts.)
Estelle colored glass drinkware from $185 for a set of 6
I absolutely love this luxury brand of handblown and specialty-made colored glass. Founder Stephanie Summerson Hall makes the most beautiful stemware in a mix of jewel tones and soft pastels. A set of glasses makes the perfect gift. These pieces are truly jewels for your dinner table. —Emma Grede, CEO, Good American; chief product officer, Skims
DASH electric egg cooker $18.99
This is a super simple, low-tech egg cooker. I love having eggs with my breakfast, and there is nothing better than waking up and I just have to throw eggs in and press a button. It’s perfect! —Kenny Leung, chef and co-owner, YAO
Peugeot salt and pepper mills $80
Peugeot makes great salt and pepper mills. They are the perfect blend of form and function. For many, the idea of finishing salts opens up new realms of flavor ideas. —Freda Sugarman, executive chef, Sarabeth’s Greenwich Village
King Arthur bench knife $28.95
This tool has a lovely wooden handle and comes from a worker-owned company. —Anne Latini, Fast Company art director
Maamoul cookies wooden sweet molds $6.99
Maamoul cookies are date-filled treats popular in the Middle East. These spoons used to make them are beautiful enough to be displayed, while also being functional. Perhaps pair them with your favorite date paste and a recipe for the cookie. Or better yet, make a batch and tie the spoon to the package.” —Michael Mina, chef and executive chairman, Mina Group
Gozney Dome outdoor oven $1,799.99
It’s a great alternative to backyard grilling and entertaining, and delivers professional results. Plus, pro tip: Kids love pizza. —Richard Blais, chef and restaurateur, La Zozzona and Tiki Taka
Victorinox oyster knife $23.99
Of course it is used to shuck oysters, but I love this tool because it can be so versatile in other tasks. I use it to peel ginger or seed delicata squash. It is narrow enough to get into nooks and crannies, but not so sharp that it will damage the product. You can use it like an extension of your fingers. Definitely one of my favorite tools. —Ji Hye Kim, chef and owner, Miss Kim
Dolci! by Renato Poliafito $38
This chef is behind some of my favorite restaurants, including Pasta Night in Brooklyn. These desserts aren’t too hard to make and they’re always crowd pleasers. —Yasmin Gagne, Fast Company associate editor
Imperia pasta maker $103
This easy-to-use machine hails straight from Italy! With it, you’ll be able to create authentic, fresh pasta right in your own kitchen. This is one of my favorite activities to do with my kids and get the whole family involved in the kitchen. —Kieran Hales, executive chef and managing partner, Zingerman’s Cornman Farms
Miele CM6160 MilkPerfection coffee maker $2,299
This machine features a wide selection of coffee types, with the option to make two at once. —Chip Wade, CEO, Union Square Hospitality Group
Made In solid stainless clad saucepan $119
Good candy and caramels are critical in our Salt & Straw kitchen. Ensuring we get replicable recipes through even heat can be the difference of a caramel sauce being luscious and velvety versus tacky and tooth-breaking. A good saucepan will go a long way in every facet of the kitchen, including a quick hollandaise for weekend brunch. I love the pans from Made In Cookware; they work on both our induction and fire burners and last forever. —Tyler Malek, cofounder and head ice cream maker, Salt & Straw
Vitamix 5200 blender $449.95
Vitamix makes the best blenders. They are so powerful and never break. It’s the blender that all restaurants use, and it’s great for everything. —CL
Anova Precision Cooker Pro $199
A circulator (better known as a sous vide machine) allows even a novice chef the ability to perfectly cook proteins to their desired doneness by cooking them in a water bath of a consistent temperature. —Zachary Lovenguth, executive chef, the Heartwood
Pulp: A Practical Guide to Cooking With Fruit by Abra Berens $35
Some might say I’m a bit biased because Abra used to work in the deli kitchen with me, but I think she’s done a really great job in all her books of coming up with recipes for Michigan’s diversity of agricultural offerings. They’re all great books, including this latest that is all about fruit! —Rodger Bowser, chef and managing partner, Zingerman’s Delicatessen
SodaStream Art from $89.99
Having the SodaStream to make club soda is an essential ingredient in our kitchen, and the new Crafted Mixers, particularly in the elderflower and grapefruit flavor poured over ice, are incredibly delicious. The new enso is super sleekly designed in stainless steel by the renowned Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa. —Michael Solomonov, co-owner, CookNSolo Restaurants
Highball & Chaser 13-piece cocktail set from $47.99
Every home could use a proper bar setup. Even if you’re mixing mocktails like me, you wanna have the right tools for the job and look cool doing it. This gift works in tandem with your favorite spirits or stands on its own. —MV
Le Creuset bread oven $300
If you hopped on the sourdough train, this is one step above using a Dutch oven to bake your bread. The shallow bottom with domed top makes it easier to transfer the bread in and out, and easier for scoring the dough. —Clarice Lam, pastry chef and author, Breaking Bao
Brooklyn Delhi tomato achaar $12
If you love Indian flavors but don’t always have all the necessary ingredients on hand, you need Brooklyn Delhi products in your pantry—and this one is my absolute favorite. It’s the key to the vodka sauce with tomato achaar and mac ’n’ dal recipes in my cookbook, and it’s also great on eggs, pizza, and just about anywhere else you might like to add a ton of flavor by doing nothing more than opening a jar! —Dan Pashman, host, The Sporkful, and author, Anything’s Pastable: 81 Inventive Recipes for Saucy People
Spearhead Spirits prices vary
This company makes gin, vodka, whisky, and an agave spirit using African ingredients. They taste incredible, and their bottles are works of art. —EG
Moromi soy sauce $20
I love this soy sauce—it’s special and small-business-made. The maker often releases special-edition flavors like heirloom corn soy sauce. —Yara Herrera, chef-partner at Hellbender
Smeg steam oven $774
I use a commercial combi oven in our kitchen at YAO so we can easily switch between steaming a dish for a quick few minutes before baking. At home, I use this smaller and simpler version of it. It’s a fun appliance for any home chef. —KL
Benriner mandoline slicer $54.99
This slicer is better than all the other products like it on the market. Just the sharpness and longevity of the product is unbeatable. I would recommend this as a gift to any chef or cook in your life. —Taka Sakaeda, chef-partner at Nami Nori and Postcard Bakery
Zanzibar black peppercorns from $9.99
These are perfectly peppery with a nice, spicy bite at the end.
—Becca Millstein, cofounder, Fishwife
Misono kids knife $59.99
For those with children like me and who love to cook with them, I recommend the misono kids knife. It teaches them the basics and gets the job done as well. It’s really light in the hand and has a great shape to promote a rocking motion. —Chef Michael Vignola, the Corner Store