Coolest Stocking Stuffers/Gifts for Cooks

It's always nice to receive funky new gadgets that make it easier to cook my favorite meals at home. With the cost of dining out increasing it is much more affordable to cook a good meal at home. It's also an easy way to have a good time and get what you want since you're not counting on other people to do the job right. Here are several items that will help out in the kitchen and make great stocking stuffers for friends and family this holiday season or any other time of the year.

I have a heck of a time finding all my measuring spoons and cups and it makes me crazy half the time so I end up just winging it when it comes to measuring. This, I have found out, is not the way to go when baking things. A great gift idea for this is the Precision Spoon Scale which is available at thinkgeek.com for around $30. The spoon has a graduated measuring scale right on it for volume measuring and also an LCD display to give you exact measurements down to as little as one-tenth of a gram. This is the perfect gift for anyone who loves to cook and especially anyone who loves to bake the perfect holiday cookies and desserts.

Do you love corn on the cob but have a hard time eating it? Here's a better solution than trying to slice the kernels off with a knife. A Corn Zipper from plowhearth.com is a great gift idea at a cost of $12.95 The teeth of this hand-held gadget cut between the kernels and the cob so you get the great taste of corn on the cob without the mess and difficulty of eating it off the cob. However, if you do like to eat it right off the cob, then a Butter Family butter dispenser and cob picks is a great choice for a stocking stuffer which is on sale right now for $13.99. The set includes a boy and girl butter dispenser and four sets of baby corn picks.

I absolutely love this next product as I am an coke addict. Don't misunderstand me, I mean Coke, Pepsi, Sprite and other kind of soda around. Unfortunately the price of soda has gone through the roof on most items which is why I usually stick to store brands most of the time. However, there are times when I have to have a real Coke or Pepsi. It is usually more economical to purchase 2-liter bottles, but I can't stand the soda a day after it's been opened because it just doesn't have the same taste and quality so I end up spending more and drinking more because I buy cans. This is not a problem anymore now that I've found the Refrigerator Fizz Saver Dispenser. All you do is attach the dispenser to the top of your soda bottle and invert it. It holds your bottle upright and you fill your glass by using the spigot attached to the dispenser. This will keep your soda fizzing to the last drop. Apparently this is a very popular item at just $12.98, but if you add your e-mail to taylorgifts.com they will advise when it is in stock, which should be by December 14th.

One more item I have to mention is the Prepara Herb Savor because I really like using fresh herbs sometimes, but hate the fact that they go bad before I can use it all. This product is available at ikitchen.com for a sale price of $23.99 and is well worth the money as it will save you money in the long run. It saves your herbs and helps keep them fresh for up to three weeks and easily fits in your refrigerator door. You just fill the base with water and place your herbs in the canister with the stems submerged in the water to keep them fresh. This is also great for fresh asparagus and as I just threw out some this morning, I know can't wait for my herb saver to be delivered.