Best Gifts and Kitchen Must-Haves for Bakers Under $15

Looking for holiday or birthday gifts for a friend who loves to bake? Maybe you are going to a kitchen bridal shower or need a great wedding gift? In this economy, we're all lookg for ways to pinch pennies. Here are best gifts and kitchen must-haves under $15. I'm gearing this list toward bakers. Oh, and the good news is, most of these gifts actually cost less than $10. I've included links for best pricing options, also.

Anchor Hocking 2 qt. Glass Batter Bowl with Lid. Replaces mixing bowls, measuring cups and covered storage bowls. Versatile multi-tasker. Best price $6.95 + shipping from Kmart.

French Bamboo Rolling Pin: Rolling pins come in many styles (plastic water-filled, marble, wood). I find wooden and especially bamboo, the easiest style of rolling pin to work with. Bamboo kitchen utensils are the cooking utensil of the future. Bamboo is a sturdy, inexpensive, renewable, sustainable resource. Bamboo is perfect for kitchen use because it is dense, doesn't stain, is lightweight and 'green'. Choose a French rolling pin (with no handles and tapered ends). Best prices $9.58 from Helen Chen's Asian Kitchen via Amazon.

8 qt. to 16 qt. stainless steel mixing bowl: I love my over-sized stainless steel mixing bowl and use it every day. Stainless steel mixing bowls are rugged, durable and multi-task well. Perfect for mixing cake batter, cookie dough, meat loaf, tossed salad, anything that requires plenty of elbow room. Some bakers prefer a mixing bowl like Good Grips with a silicone non-slip base. Mixing bowls with a silicone base retail for about $20 for the larger size. Best price for plain stainless steel 8 quart mixing bowl is $12.97 at Walmart (available for lower prices at other distributors, but higher shipping costs).

rubber or silicone scrapers: Every baker or cook needs a good set of rubber or silicone scrapers. These are also (inaccurately) referred to as spatulas. Rubber scrapers work well for mixing and getting all food from edges of a bowl. Be sure to buy a rubber or silicone scraper and not plastic; plastic doesn't work well. Best price $2.99 at Walmart.

Over-sized extra long Teflon coated oven mitt: Some oven mitts cover only the hand leaving wrists and arms exposed to burns. Be sure to buy the extra long oven mitt that covers part way up the arm.

Chop and Scoop Cutting Board: Available is several sizes from B3 - Bed Bath and Beyond, this cutting board is shaped so that cooks and bakers can transport chopped food to pan or bowl and pour without spilling. Silicone base prevents slipping and shifting. Choose the large Chop and Scoop for $14.95.

Oxo Good Grips Chopper Scraper: Measuring ruler along cutting edge helps cooks measuring size of cuts. This product cuts, scrapes counter, lifts and transfers foods. Available under $15 from most retailers. If you can afford a more expensive gift, Bed Bath and Beyond carries a wooden salad bowl and chopper set for $54.99 made in America.

For more gift ideas visit the blogs linked.