By Published June 13, 2017.
Last week, we talked about great kitchen equipment to give dad this Father’s Day. Maybe your father is a bread baker who needs a new stand mixer, or perhaps he loves hosting and would enjoy a good cocktail shaker. (For more Father’s Day gift ideas, check out this article or visit our recently redesigned bookstore.)
Today, we ask some of the dads at America’s Test Kitchen for their Father’s Day gift recommendations (and wish lists, too).
I know what I want for Father's Day, so Rose and Eve I hope you're reading. My beloved Italian ice cream machine conked out last year. Over nearly three decades, I lugged this 30-pound feat of Italian engineering from home to home so that I could produce stellar sorbet, gelato, ice cream, and frozen yogurt. I have properly mourned the demise of this favorite kitchen appliance--and I'm ready to move on.
The good news? My colleagues in the test kitchen rated ice cream machines recently and found a model that is reasonably priced (so no need to break the bank, girls) and light (it weighs less than 10 pounds so anyone can lift it). There's nothing like freshly made coffee ice cream. Or how about some mango sorbet? Or frozen yogurt with local honey? Or chocolate ice cream with chunks of your mother's brownies? This is a gift the whole family can enjoy.
The Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream, & Sorbet Maker costs about $50. This might just be the coolest investment any children can make for their dad.
I think there's no better present to inspire and empower a home cook than a really good (and really beautiful) carbon-steel chef's knife. A few years ago, my wife bought me an 8-inch Bob Kramer chef's knife, and I love it. It looks so dramatic, it’s a delight to hold, and it keeps an amazing edge.
Wanting to keep it as sharp and good looking as the day I received it has made me a better cook. It taught me how to use a whetstone properly, and because I want to treat it with respect, I'm more mindful of every cut.
For me, great food has to look fantastic, and when I see a beautifully-plated dish in a restaurant or a cookbook, I know it starts with a sharp knife. I have one of those and a lifetime ahead of me to learn how to use it.
The absolute best thing I could receive for Father’s Day? A carbon-steel chef’s knife. A samurai would never enter battle without his weapon of choice, nor would this test cook want to enter the testing grounds of America’s Test Kitchen without his.
Carbon steel is superior to stainless steel because it is harder, stronger, and retains a better edge. Carbon steel is a high-maintenance metal that rusts if not kept dry, which sometimes means wiping it off immediately after washing or even between uses. I’ll admit that this is perhaps a little bit intense for some. (However, that same degree of meticulousness is what makes a great cook great.)
I don’t actually expect my 9-year-old to hand me an 8-inch carbon-steel blade, but this dad can dream.
What are you giving your dad this Father’s Day? Let us know in the comments! And for more Father's Day gift inspiration, read this post.
