25 Time-Saving Gifts for Your Favorite Lazy Chef
Gift-giving season is officially here, and we’re sharing some of our favorite products for everyone on our gift list this year. If you’ve got a lazy chef in your life — aka your friend who loves to cook as long as it’s quick and easy — then these 25 no-nonsense tools and products will have them jumping for joy. From expertly curated ingredients delivered right to their door to gadgets that slash cooking time, your culinary companions will be whipping up tasty treasures year-round and thinking of you with every bite.
1. Quarterly ($50): The recipient of this incredible gift will get a package of rad foodie stuff from the nation’s top creators every three months. Curators handpick the best ingredients, tools and gadgets to make the best subscription gift box ever.
2. Obsessive Chef Cutting Board ($26): If your lazy chef friend also happens to be obsessively detaile-oriented, you better get them this cutting board.
3. Vitamix Personal Blender ($400-$450): Obviously this one’s for the big spenders, but Vitamix makes one of the biggest time-saving kitchen gadgets available. This personal blender makes small batches of soups, sauces and dressings, and even chops and dices in a flash.
4. Culinary Herb Garden Starter Kit ($30): Herbs make all the difference in cooking, but it can be tough for any chef (especially one pressed for time) to track down top-notch, in-season ingredients. This gift keeps giving by providing 10 kitchen herbs year-round.
5. Draining Sieve ($28): A truly lazy chef doesn’t have time to dig around for a colander once it’s time to drain pasta. They can keep this sieve handy and simply stack on top of any pot or pan for easy straining.
6. Chef’s Pencil Set ($11): No more paging through cookbooks or frantically asking Siri for help. This charming pencil set puts simple cooking definitions at the tips of their fingers.
7. Universal Expert Knife Block + Utensil Set ($150): Your friends will be grateful not to have to hunt through their drawers for their essential kitchen utensils with this all-in-one tool and knife set.
8. Marble Cutting Board ($38): For prepping or serving (or just kitchen decor), this timeless board can be hung on the wall for easy accessibility. It will totally stand the test of time as the ultimate gift for anyone who loves to cook.
9. Tote ($44): Make it even easier for your friends to bring their culinary works of art to you with this cute tote that holds food containers of all sizes for easy transport.
10. iPad Stand ($40): Save your friends’ electronics from splashes, spills and other kitchen catastrophes by getting them a tablet stand.
11. Gourmet Mister ($10): Your friends can say goodbye to limp and over-dressed salads with this inexpensive gift that makes seasoning as easy as pressing a button.
12. Multi-Tool Utility Shears ($20): If your lazy chef has a tiny kitchen, they’ll love this multi-tasking gadget that is basically the Swiss Army knife of kitchen tools.
13. Plated ($60-$360): If getting to the grocery store is the hardest part of pulling a meal together, then save your friends the trip with this service, which sends expertly selected ingredients and instructions for preparation straight to their door. They’ll be thanking you for every bite.
14. Prep Pad ($150): Lazy chefs don’t have time to weigh food and count calories. Get them the gift of complete nutritional know-how, and they’ll have a jumpstart on all their New Year’s resolutions.
15. Where Chefs Eat ($12): There are plenty of apps that will direct you to a killer restaurant, but a true foodie wants to know where the pros eat.
16. Hand Blender ($50): By giving them such a handy (pun intended!) tool, you’ll save your friends time and energy spent washing dirty dishes. With the whisk and chopper attachments, they’ll be able to take their cooking to the next level.
17. Mandoline Slicer ($70): Is your friend less than confident in her knife skills? Send her this mandolin, and she’ll have fruits and veggies sliced and diced like a pro.
18. Smart Thermometer ($150): Why not get your friend a gift that’s as technologically savvy as she is? Between checking her mail or uploading photos to Insta, your friend can get real-time temperature updates of whatever’s cooking straight to her phone.
19. Peeler Set ($15): The fun and festive colors of this three-piece set will make every cooking adventure seem like a party.
20. Box Grater ($35): While a restaurant-style cheese grater can save a lazy chef a lot of time, they’re bound to need a box grater eventually. This one is a multi-tasker and has handy rubber feet to keep it firmly planted.
21. 4-Cup Chopper-Grinder ($60): If your friend sticks to the cooking basics, then this chopper/grinder can easily take the place of a more costly food processor. Throw some hunks of avocado, tomato and onion in there to make guacamole and you’ll swear by this gadget, too.
22. Food Mill ($50): Whether you’re throwing tomatoes in here for homemade spaghetti sauce or mashing up potatoes, this simple mill is perfect for anyone who doesn’t have time to fuss over electronic gadgets.
23. Chef’s Knife ($135-$150): Save your friends time (and their fingers!) with a professional chef’s knife, and they’ll finally conquer julienne vegetables.
24. Axe + Knife Sharpener ($11): Now that you’ve gotten them that fancy knife, why not throw in a sharpener too? This sharpener will keep an assortment of kitchen tools in tip-top shape.
25. Apron: Aprons can be cute and functional additions in the kitchen, so why not DIY one for your favorite chef? (via Brit + Co)
What’s your must-have tool for lazy cooking? We’d love to hear about it in the comments!
