Last week I posted my 2015 Gift Guide for Foodies & Cooks, featuring an array of new best-in-class gift options for this year. But because I have been covering the best of food and kitchen tools for years, it occurred to me that while some of my personal favorites may be a few years old, they are still awesome, the things I use every day in my home. So I’ve scoured through my past columns to select five great holiday gifts for food lovers and cooks at a wide range of price options that still cannot be beat. In most cases I’ve included a link to the earlier article chock full of detail on why these things are so good.
A Better Coffee Cup Means Better Coffee: The world is full of coffee lovers - and almost all of them are using the wrong cups. Wine and spirits fans swear by specialized glassware from companies like Riedel or Spiegelau that have researched and designed specific shapes that make different sprits and grape varietals taste better, but coffee, the most widely consumed beverage in our country (besides water), has been largely ignored. After much research I found the perfect coffee cup, one that will make the same coffee you use right now taste better. I am drinking from it as I write this.
Best Ever All-In-One Outdoor Cooker and Pig Roaster: For years the Cuban-inspired backyard cooker known as La Caja China, nicknamed “The Magic Box,” was a secret cult favorite of chefs like Andrew Zimmern and Bobby Flay, who described it as “The coolest,” and said “It is just awesome.” I was an early La Caja China adopter, bought one more than decade ago, and while it did a fantastic job of cooking just about any meat, from ribs to serval whole chickens or turkeys, and especially its main reason for being, whole pigs, it wasn’t very well made. This past summer I tested (thoroughly!) the new heavier duty, metal design that also works great as a grill. You have to read my detailed review to fully appreciate this revolutionary device, but it makes the best and fastest pig roast you can imagine, while also functioning as a full-service grill and smoker, simply the ultimate all-in-one backyard cooker.
<stron
