What is a useful gift that you would want to receive?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm also confused by all the vanilla extract posters - it's just a thing I buy as needed, just like I also restock high quality olive oil as needed because I like to use it.

However, nice olive oils/vinegars are still a good gift because you run through them quickly and also they have different qualities that work well with different things (e.g. more peppery or more fruity). Similarly, if they like coffee then some really good coffee from your favorite roaster would also be a nice gift.

I'd be happy to receive something like this excellent pepper grinder https://www.amazon.com/Unicorn-Magnum-Plus-Pepper-Black/dp/B0000CFB4N

These surprisingly useful, great wooden spatulas - https://www.earlywooddesigns.com/collections/wood-cooking-utensils/products/wooden-kitchen-utensil-set

These stemless wine glasses for casual meals - https://us.nudeglass.com/collections/wine/products/pure-bourgogne-glasses

I'd also take some bombas socks - they really are very good

Yes!

As for socks, I looove SmartWool. They feel so cozy. I prefer them to my cashmere socks, which tend to fall down around my ankles.

Another footwear option for wistful travelers -- compression socks. These sound drab, but, truly, they are transformative. And they come in lots of pretty patterns.

[Anonymous]

I love food gifts that are special to a certain city, especially if I have a connection to it (not the towers from Harry & David's or Costco). Things like Chicago pizza. Montreal bagels. Jessies peanut butter cups from NYC. Custard from Milwaukee. I once ordered Georgetown Cupcakes for someone and while they're not my favorite it was a huge hit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm also confused by all the vanilla extract posters - it's just a thing I buy as needed, just like I also restock high quality olive oil as needed because I like to use it.

However, nice olive oils/vinegars are still a good gift because you run through them quickly and also they have different qualities that work well with different things (e.g. more peppery or more fruity). Similarly, if they like coffee then some really good coffee from your favorite roaster would also be a nice gift.

I'd be happy to receive something like this excellent pepper grinder https://www.amazon.com/Unicorn-Magnum-Plus-Pepper-Black/dp/B0000CFB4N

These surprisingly useful, great wooden spatulas - https://www.earlywooddesigns.com/collections/wood-cooking-utensils/products/wooden-kitchen-utensil-set

These stemless wine glasses for casual meals - https://us.nudeglass.com/collections/wine/products/pure-bourgogne-glasses

I'd also take some bombas socks - they really are very good

Yes!

As for socks, I looove SmartWool. They feel so cozy. I prefer them to my cashmere socks, which tend to fall down around my ankles.

Another footwear option for wistful travelers -- compression socks. These sound drab, but, truly, they are transformative. And they come in lots of pretty patterns.

The best socks are the women's merino hiking ones found at costco. $20 for 6 pairs. I LOVE them. They're thicker than the smartwool ones I've tried.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What am I missing not having the real vanilla extract? What are you using it for?

You're not missing anything unless vanilla is the star of what you're making. Cooks Illustrated recommends Baker's Imitation Vanilla.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000B6MUKG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1&fpw=alm

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm also confused by all the vanilla extract posters - it's just a thing I buy as needed, just like I also restock high quality olive oil as needed because I like to use it.

However, nice olive oils/vinegars are still a good gift because you run through them quickly and also they have different qualities that work well with different things (e.g. more peppery or more fruity). Similarly, if they like coffee then some really good coffee from your favorite roaster would also be a nice gift.

I'd be happy to receive something like this excellent pepper grinder https://www.amazon.com/Unicorn-Magnum-Plus-Pepper-Black/dp/B0000CFB4N

These surprisingly useful, great wooden spatulas - https://www.earlywooddesigns.com/collections/wood-cooking-utensils/products/wooden-kitchen-utensil-set

These stemless wine glasses for casual meals - https://us.nudeglass.com/collections/wine/products/pure-bourgogne-glasses

I'd also take some bombas socks - they really are very good

Yes!

As for socks, I looove SmartWool. They feel so cozy. I prefer them to my cashmere socks, which tend to fall down around my ankles.

Another footwear option for wistful travelers -- compression socks. These sound drab, but, truly, they are transformative. And they come in lots of pretty patterns.

The best socks are the women's merino hiking ones found at costco. $20 for 6 pairs. I LOVE them. They're thicker than the smartwool ones I've tried.

I'd love those spatulas! Trying to replace my plasticware with wood or metal.

I also like the Costco socks. Mine got holes in the heels faster than my smartwool, but that could be because I was wearing them more regularly on any given day as opposed to a hike.

[Anonymous]

Mini desk humidifier.

[Anonymous]

A purse hook for your car so it's not falling off the seat onto the floor. Also a purse hook that clips to a table when you are dining out...not as useful this year as it would be other years though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A rice cooker is an extremely useful gift. Even people who don't cook very much appreciate the never-fail quality of this item.

That said, I'm not a fan of useful gifts. I love gifts that are unexpected luxuries -- doesn't matter if they're small ones. I'd rather have one delicious chocolate bar than a Roomba (what my BIL gave my sister last year -- it was not a pretty scene).

LOL. I LOVE useful gifts. My MIL has given me so many bottles of luxury lotions, etc, that I've never used, but I use the roomba she gave me all the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm also confused by all the vanilla extract posters - it's just a thing I buy as needed, just like I also restock high quality olive oil as needed because I like to use it.

However, nice olive oils/vinegars are still a good gift because you run through them quickly and also they have different qualities that work well with different things (e.g. more peppery or more fruity). Similarly, if they like coffee then some really good coffee from your favorite roaster would also be a nice gift.

I'd be happy to receive something like this excellent pepper grinder https://www.amazon.com/Unicorn-Magnum-Plus-Pepper-Black/dp/B0000CFB4N

These surprisingly useful, great wooden spatulas - https://www.earlywooddesigns.com/collections/wood-cooking-utensils/products/wooden-kitchen-utensil-set

These stemless wine glasses for casual meals - https://us.nudeglass.com/collections/wine/products/pure-bourgogne-glasses

I'd also take some bombas socks - they really are very good

Yes!

As for socks, I looove SmartWool. They feel so cozy. I prefer them to my cashmere socks, which tend to fall down around my ankles.

Another footwear option for wistful travelers -- compression socks. These sound drab, but, truly, they are transformative. And they come in lots of pretty patterns.

The best socks are the women's merino hiking ones found at costco. $20 for 6 pairs. I LOVE them. They're thicker than the smartwool ones I've tried.

I'd love those spatulas! Trying to replace my plasticware with wood or metal.

I also like the Costco socks. Mine got holes in the heels faster than my smartwool, but that could be because I was wearing them more regularly on any given day as opposed to a hike.

+2 for the Costco merino wool socks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A rice cooker is an extremely useful gift. Even people who don't cook very much appreciate the never-fail quality of this item.

That said, I'm not a fan of useful gifts. I love gifts that are unexpected luxuries -- doesn't matter if they're small ones. I'd rather have one delicious chocolate bar than a Roomba (what my BIL gave my sister last year -- it was not a pretty scene).

A rice cooker - one more small appliance that I'd donate as soon as I got it because I don't want to store it. The few times I make rice, I make it in a pot that I use for 1,000 other things.

I used to say that . . . until I got one (not as a gift, but because DS's college roommate, who is Korean-American, didn't want to ship it home to LA). When I used it, I felt like I was witnessing a miracle. It is a very simple appliance that produces perfect rice. Not good rice; perfect rice.

If you only eat rice a few times a year, then use a regular pot. If you eat rice every day like my Asian family does, a rice cooker is invaluable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What am I missing not having the real vanilla extract? What are you using it for?

You're not missing anything unless vanilla is the star of what you're making. Cooks Illustrated recommends Baker's Imitation Vanilla.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000B6MUKG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1&fpw=alm

Cooks Illustrated has steered me wrong so many times I no longer value their recommendations.

[Anonymous]

My fav useful gift I've received is a set of measuring spoons that magnetically stick together.

[Anonymous]

swiss army knife

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What am I missing not having the real vanilla extract? What are you using it for?

I put it into my hot chocolate, coffee, and sometimes tea. I'd rather drink the real stuff than the imitation. But if all I needed it was for baking, I might just use imitation.

[Anonymous]

Knife sharpener. I always wait too long before getting my knives sharpened.