Lisa's Holiday Gift Guide 2022

Whether you're equipping someone who's new to cooking or giving an accomplished cook an exciting new gadget, Lisa has plenty of suggestions, at a wide range of prices.

"This deep, covered frying pan with L-shaped sides is perfect for cold-weather cooking like braises, piles of sautéed greens, and other dishes that need a little extra room, some liquid, and a lid. This was our tested favorite for its roomy cooking surface, comfy handle, and moderately high walls that corralled splatters, all at a moderate price." -LM

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"What do robot vacuums have to do with cooking? When I’m done in the kitchen for the day, my floor is a mess. A robot vacuum can handle the sweeping up. I love how it works while I do other things that I enjoy more—like cooking. The iRobot Roomba j7+ was the top picker-upper in our testing. It can be programmed to clean anywhere, anytime. It even self-empties, recharges, and gets right back to work." -LM

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"A great serrated knife is one of the three essential kitchen knives everyone should have, along with a chef’s knife and paring knife. But let’s be honest, most people struggle with whatever serrated blade they have. You can change that: This knife has easily bested every other serrated knife we’ve tested, with its generous length, fiercely sharp serrations, and comfortable handle. Best of all, it costs less than $20." -LM

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"A great wok is a wonderful kitchen tool, but our favorite is sometimes hard to find. We took the features that we loved most in that model—lightweight carbon steel; 14-inch size; and a flat bottom with a comfortable, heatproof handle—and found two widely available woks that performed just as well: the Joyce Chen Classic Series 14-Inch Carbon Steel Wok with Birch Handles and the IMUSA 14″ Non-Coated Wok with Wood Handle, Silver. Any of these woks will make an excellent gift." -LM

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"One of THE best gifts you can give any home cook is a fast, easy-to-use, and accurate instant-read digital thermometer. It’s not a frill or an extra: This is an essential part of getting great results in the kitchen.  Our test cooks are never without the ThermaPen for cooking, baking, and grilling. You can get new cooks started with a ThermoPop, which is colorful and easy to use, at a bargain price. It makes a great stocking stuffer too." -LM

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"When my colleague Miye Bromberg tested travel mugs, I got to road test the winning Zojirushi mug and fell in love with it. I love to take hot coffee or tea whether I’m commuting or hiking, and this slim, lightweight container works equally well with ice cold beverages. Hot drinks stay piping hot for over 10 hours, and a tight seal and lock means it never drips." -LM

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"A portable burner is useful as a spare stove on holidays and during power outages, when traveling in an RV, for cooking tableside or outdoors—even just for messy frying projects in the backyard. They’re perfect in tiny kitchens and for access to a different technology (gas, induction, electric) than what’s installed in your kitchen. We tested portable burners in every style, but I personally love our gas-fueled winner. Our winner lets you use either propane or butane and aced every cooking test, whether we were boiling water, searing burgers, cooking fondue, stir-frying in a wok, or deep frying." -LM

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