12 Valentine's Day Gift Ideas You Can Use All Year Long
These gifts will delight every kind of home cook.
As much as we love great chocolate gifts, sometimes the best gifts for Valentine's Day are things you could actually use in your home. Avoid the holiday clichés by getting a new kitchen tool or two. Whether you're planning on cooking a meal or sipping some cocktails, these tools are something special for food and drink lovers (so to speak). Read on for some of our favorite new cookware, bakeware, and essentials you will use and love for years to come.
For Home Bar Curators
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Riedel Nick & Nora Glasses
What is a cocktail without the perfect sipping vessel, after all? With sturdy stems and shapes specifically designed for every classic cocktail, this collection is an investment worth making and will stand the test of time. The Nick & Nora style is a great shape for a classic gimlet, martini, or Manhattan cocktail.
Riedel Drink Specific Glassware Collection, from $30 at amazon.com
Full Bar Set
Get your mixology tools in order and on-trend. This copper-plated stainless steel looks great on display and comes with a shaker, strainer, bar spoon, and jigger. Great for mixing up all types of cocktails.
Williams Sonoma Copper Bar Tools Set, $90 at williams-sonoma.com
Glass Tumblers
These delicate glasses add a touch of class to any cocktail and work just as well as everyday cups. Though they're handmade, they're also sturdy enough to be dishwasher-safe.
Set of 6, $60 at food52.com or verishop.com
For the Serious Home Chef
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Egg Waffle Pan
Mover over, Belgian waffles. Step up your waffle game with this egg puff version; the traditional street snack makes for a delicious weekend breakfast. It's made of aluminum and will turn out the puffed-up pastry in no time.
Nordic Ware Hong Kong Egg Waffle Puff Pan, $43 at amazon.com
Cast Iron Griddle
Fried eggs, homemade pizza, or crispy burgers are all perfect for this glass-domed cast iron pan. The lid keeps splatter off your cooktop, and less cleanup is always a bonus gift. Keep in mind these cast iron do's and don't's.
Staub Steam Griddle with Glass Lid, $149 at amazon.com
The Best Multi-Purpose Pan
This do-everything pan is one of our favorite tools on the market, and it'll save your kitchen some extra cabinet space to boot. It's a nonstick, saucier, steamer, skillet, and more, and it comes in several trendy colors. We love to gift tools that are pretty, durable, and useful.
Our Place Always Pan, $145 at ourplace.com
Aeon Wüsthof Knife
Wüsthof's limited-edition Aeon chef's knife is something to behold, and truly special to use in the kitchen. This investment tool is coated with a scratch-resistant coating that naturally resists liquids, acids, and starch for the most seamless slicing. The high-carbon stainless-steel blade has a unique dark tone, and the handle is individually handcrafted from ancient bog oak. It's the most durable tool you'll own, and it will knock the socks off that tired knife set on the counter.
Limited Edition Aeon Wüsthof Knife, $600 at williams-sonoma.com
For Caffeine Lovers
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Nespresso Machine
A gift that keeps on giving, a Nespresso machine makes every morning a little easier. It presses and foams just the right amount from each pod for every style of latte, cappuccino, or even iced coffee you'd want. For folks that don't want to fuss with usual coffee tools, this is indispensable.
Nespresso Vertuo Next with Frother, $239 at amazon.com
French Press
Would you rather unplug and savor the aromas of your favorite blends? These French presses and pour-overs are beautiful additions to any countertop, but we especially love this extra-large one from Bodum that will fulfill your coffee needs all day long.
Bodum French Press Coffee Maker, $20 (was $25) at amazon.com
Milk Frother
Top off your espresso with hot milk and the most incredible foam, which is easier to make than you'd think. The Miroco milk frother has 4 simple settings to whip up foam in under a minute, and give your home the feel of that coffee shop without the $5 price per flat white.
Miroco Electric Milk Frother, $40 at amazon.com
For the Home Baker
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Great Jones Bakeware
Great Jones just released its latest bakeware line in the high-demand "marinara" color, and the limited edition "Sweetie Pie" pie dish and "Hot Dish" casserole baker won't last. Order it soon to give it an inaugural bake by Valentine's Day.
Great Jones "Hot Dish" Baking Pan, $75 at greatjonesgoods.com
Kitchen Torch
Whip up the perfect creme brulée with ease, a treat that shows you went the extra mile. Use it regularly for indoor s'mores, meringues, or even grapefruit at breakfast.
Rösle Kitchen Torch, $40 at crateandbarrel.com or amazon.com