In a spirit of practicality (with one or two completely frivolous and outrageous exceptions), I once again share with you my Christmas gift list of mostly practical items that have proven their worth in my own kitchen and/or stomach. A few of these items were discovered by our test kitchen, and others are purely personal selections.
Breville Juice Fountain Plus, $149.95
This juicer is the top in its class and is easy enough to clean up as well. It does a superlative job and is built to last. Available on Amazon.
Presso Manual Espresso Machine, $105
Yes, this is very expensive, but it makes very good espresso without the $1,000 price tag of an electric pump machine. It looks a bit like an old-fashioned winged corkscrew, and a little elbow grease does the trick instead of a pump.
Update: The ROK ($199) is the newest incarnation of the Presso Espresso Machine. Available on Importika.
Fissler Vitaquick, $300, or Fagor Duo 8-quart, $110, Stovetop Pressure Cookers
You can make great chicken stock in 15 minutes or risotto in 10. Enough said. Available on Amazon here and here.
Breville BOV800XL The Smart Oven 1800-Watt Convection Toaster Oven with Element IQ, $249
This is one of the few toaster ovens that can actually make toast. I use it all the time. Available on Amazon.
California Cooler Bags T-Rex Large Collapsible Rolling Cooler, $79
This is the best portable cooler bar none. It has rollers, it is collapsible, it’s not bulky, it uses a layer of air for insulation, and it is easily cleaned. Love it. Available on Keep Your Cooler.
Vitamix 5200 Blender, $450, or Breville Hemisphere Blender, $200
Many blenders just can’t do heavy-duty jobs; these two models are pricey but are up to it. Available on Amazon here and here.
iRobot Roomba Vacuum Cleaning Robot, $350 to $700 depending on features
I thought this was silly until Lisa McManus in our testing department sold me on it. I use it to do the linoleum kitchen floor—it uses water and soap to clean the floor as well as brushes it. It works great while I sleep. Browse on Amazon.
Oxo Good Grips Cookie Spatula, $7.99
It sounds odd, but this is one spatula that you will use all the time. Available on Amazon.
Chef’s Choice 838 Waffle Cone Express Ice Cream Cone Maker, $49
This is another item that I would normally avoid, but everyone in our testing department fell in love with it. It’s especially useful if you have kids around the house. Available on Amazon.
About the Author: Christopher Kimball
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Chris should think of putting his letters from Vermont into a book. It’s the first thing I read, when the magazine arrives. Does he really write those himself?
Where are these prices from? The Presso Manual Espresso Machine was listed at $150 on Amazon so getting it cheaper would be great. Also, Amazon currently has it as currently unavailable and that they don’t know when or if this item will be back in stock. Presso’s USA wesbite (http://presso.us/) also says “We are sorry we are no longer a reseller for Presso Ltd”. It would be a shame if this item is going to be discounted.
Hi Adrian, great question. When this list was put together, the Presso was available on Amazon. It looks like their US distribution is transitioning. We’re investigating!
It’s been re-engineered and re-named ROK: http://www.rokkitchentools.com/
I have one of those juicers and have had it for over six months. So far I haven’t used it. BUT, I will
I have to say that I am surprised you gave the Fagor Duo 8 Quart Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker such high marks. I was considering it myself, but the reviews on Amazon are chuck full of comments about problems and broken parts. Customer service at Fagor seems to be awful, expecting people to lay for shipping on parts that arrived broken. Have you experienced any problems with your handles or their lack luster customer service?
http://www.amazon.com/Fagor-8-Quart-Stainless-Steel-Pressure-Steamer/product-reviews/B00023D9RG/ref=cm_cr_dp_qt_hist_one?ie=UTF8&filterBy=addOneStar&showViewpoints=0
I agree fully; the Breville Smart Oven is topnotch. It’s been worth every penny. I’ve also been impressed by other Breville products.
Chris said of the Breville BOV800XL The Smart Oven 1800-Watt Convection Toaster Oven with Element IQ “This is one of the few toaster ovens that can actually make toast. I use it all the time.” Watching the episode where this was selected as the best toaster oven, Chris has total disdain for any toaster ovens stating that he had two toaster ovens in boxes in the basement and he only used his toaster and his full oven and would not use a toaster oven.
Which is it? Does he dislike toaster ovens or does he love and use this? I’m a touch confused.