I Test Kitchen Products All Day, and These Are the Pieces I’m Giving This Holiday Season

As a shopping writer, it’s my job to test new launches and scope out the best deals on kitchen products. I spend 40 hours a week shopping for cookware, gadgets, dinnerware, and appliances, so by the time Christmas rolls around, I jump at the chance to share my favorite finds with my nearest and dearest. 

After lots of testing, tasting, and reviewing, some products stood out as being especially fun to use and exciting to give. Right now, Amazon is offering great deals on fan-favorite brands like Le Creuset, Staub, and All-Clad. From festive waffle makers to a gorgeous French press, these are the kitchen products worth snagging for your favorite home chefs this holiday season — with prices starting at just $12.

Holiday Kitchen Gifts to Buy at Amazon

• Le Creuset Noël Collection Stoneware Mini Cocotte with Star Knob, $48 (originally $60)
• Dash Mini Waffle Makers, $29 (originally $30)
• All-Clad Specialty Silicone Kitchen Tools, $60 (originally $95)
• Staub Cast Iron Frying Pan, $100 (originally $243)
• Oggi French Press Coffee Maker, $12 (originally $13)
• Mora Ceramic Flat Pasta Bowls, $39
• Monkey Business Beanie Bottle Stopper, $13 (originally $16)
• Ototo Blade Knife Sharpener, $15 (originally $20)
• Black Duck Brand Holiday Silicone Ice Cube Molds, $14 (originally $19)

Le Creuset Noël Collection Stoneware Mini Cocotte with Star Knob

Forget the little blue box — if there’s one thing I want to see under my tree, it’s Le Creuset cookware. While many of the brand’s pieces can go for hundreds and even thousands of dollars, Amazon is offering surprisingly great prices on items like this mini holiday cocotte. Essentially a shrunken-down version of Le Creuset’s Dutch oven, this cocotte comes with a festive gold, star-shaped handle and is embossed with winter-ready details. Right now, you can snag one in white or green for 20% off or in red for 14% off. 

Dash Mini Waffle Makers, Set of 2

I firmly believe that waffles can fix any bad morning, especially when they’re this festive. This two-piece set comes with two mini waffle makers — one impressed with a snowflake and one with a gingerbread person — allowing me to multitask when cooking for hungry crowds during the holidays. I love that the mini machines heat quickly and evenly and churn out perfectly crispy, fluffy waffles in minutes. Right now, they’re less than $15 each if you buy a set, so you can gift wrap one and keep the other.

All-Clad Specialty Silicone Kitchen Tools, Set of 5

This set of kitchen tools convinced me that high-quality tools are key to taking dishes to the next level. If you’re in search of a great gift for a budding home chef or need to overhaul your own collection, I can’t recommend this five-piece set from All-Clad enough. It comes with a standard-sized spatula, spoonula, and jar scraper, plus a mini jar scraper and spoonula with nonstick silicone heads that can withstand temperatures up to 450°F. Each features an ergonomic stainless steel handle that helps provide excellent leverage when I’m stirring, flipping, scraping, and more. You can snag them now for just $12 apiece — a great deal considering All-Clad’s typical price point.

Staub Cast Iron Frying Pan

Cookware gifts don’t get much cuter (or useful) than this enameled cherry-red cast iron pan from Staub. Aside from its cheery, Christmas-ready color, I love its even conduction, convenient pouring spout, and fantastic heat retention. With the ability to cook on the stove top or in the oven, this frying pan is just as versatile as you’d expect a cast iron skillet to be. It’s durable without being too heavy and is attractive enough to transfer straight from the oven to the dining table. Right now, it’s 59% off in four colors.

Oggi French Press Coffee Maker

PSA: Coffee makers don’t have to be bulky eyesores. French presses like this $12 model from Amazon offer an affordable way to brew delicious coffee and loose leaf tea with minimal effort, which is why they’re one of my favorite items to give during the holidays. The Oggi French press is made from heat-resistant borosilicate glass and features plastic detailing in six different colors. It’s incredibly easy to use and is even dishwasher safe, making cleanup a breeze. 

Mora Ceramic Flat Pasta Bowls, Set of 4

Pasta bowls are the ultimate kitchen multitasker. The vessels are a hybrid between a traditional bowl and a dinner plate, offering a large surface area to serve everything from soups and chilis to sheet pan dinners and, yes, pastas. This set of multicolored ceramic bowls comes in assorted earth tones that match any kitchen and feature raw terracotta detailing that helps them stand out amidst a sea of white dishes. They’re coated with a scratch-resistant glaze, making for a gift that’ll last a lifetime.  

Monkey Business Beanie Bottle Stoppers, Set of 2

I just gave my bar cart an instant seasonal makeover by replacing my boring black wine stoppers with these adorable bottle beanies. The cable-knit hats, complete with cutesy pom-poms on top, not only look great on my bottles but offer a leakproof, airtight seal that keeps my wine fresh for longer. Each two-pack comes with one red and one gray silicone stopper that make fantastic stocking stuffers and white elephant gifts. Snag a set now for 19% off. 

Ototo Blade Knife Sharpener

I think that the best kitchen gadgets can make you look forward to chores you used to dread. While I once hated sharpening my knives, this whimsical blade sharpener can make the task easy and even fun. The small device can repair old knives and bring life back into dull kitchen shears in a flash. Unlike other knife sharpeners, this one is small enough to store in any cabinet and can even be cleaned in the dishwasher.

Black Duck Brand Holiday Silicone Ice Cube Molds, Set of 3

It’s all fun and games until the party runs out of ice. After making that very mistake one too many times, I recently snapped up this set of festive ice cube molds that give any beverage a holiday feel to ensure I won’t be stuck serving tepid tipples at my next holiday soiree. The molds are also great for making holiday chocolates, Jell-O shots, or even homemade soaps. Plus, there are three trays in the set, so you can share the love by rolling them up to stuff in Christmas stockings.