I think I'm really easy to buy for. I love cooking and hosting dinner and drinks parties, so any kitchen gadgets, serveware, tableware or moveable decor I can glide into a tablescape will always go down well with me.
And this is true for anyone in your life who loves being in the kitchen. So I've trawled the best home decor stores to find all the best Christmas gifts for this type of friend or loved one. From the pot that professional chefs tell me they prefer to Le Creuset to the cookbooks I've had by my side all year to the most ridiculously wonderful pepper mill, I've got you and your shopping needs covered.
Price: $26.99 for two
Brown glass catches candlelight in the most golden of ways, creating such an intimate, flattering light. And coupes are so much better to drink from than flutes - far less of a head-tilt needed.
Price: $480
Le Creuset might have the name recognition but all the professional chefs I know prefer Staub. It ages better, it conducts heat better, and it feels special to have the brand those in the know are drawn to.
Price: $14.95 for four
Made for spearing olives before submersing them in a maritini, the flash of gilt edge - and slightly dangerous scorpion design - can't help but create instant party vibes.
Price: $34.99
Unsurprisingly, J.Crew's table linen is as smart/casual as it's clothes - good quality material that gets better with age. This nautical design feels right for all seasons.
Price: $17.09
Everything looks better raised - a table display of fruit is instantly elevated (in all senses of the word) if placed in a pedestal bowl. This simple design looks a lot more expensive than it is.
Price: $44.99
Most aprons can be a bit twee, and people who actually like to cook need them to be hardwearing and functional. With heavy duty leather straps and thick canvas, this is just the one a good host needs.
Price: $195
One of the standouts at the big Salone del Mobile design fair in Milan this year was Minotti's 'bar trough' - a low cabinet with a marble trough at one end holding bottles and decanters. It was was just so luxe, integrating hosting into living, and so right for now. Essentially, the decanter is back. This pink one, specifically.
Price: $114
I'm really not sure there has ever been a more luxe gift than a marble box destined solely for olives, but that's A-Grade level hosting for you.
Price: $18
I refuse to believe I'm the only person who gets excited about dish cloths and tea towels - I have a drawer of the ones that are too good to use. These are borderline too good and too good not to use - a serious home cook will love them.
Price: $50
This pleasingly rough-textured pantry bowl is just big enough to make pesto or sauces in - and more than pretty enough to then end up as a prop on Instagram. The lipped edge is a clever finishing touch, meaning this can be serveware, too.
Price: $29.49
Celebrated British chef - and friend of Livingetc - Ravinder Bhogal counts Ottolenghi as one her of her fans. Her latest book centers on vegetarian cooking, blending her unique mix of Indian, Kenyan and Western flavors.
Price: $595
Portable lamps may not be a classic kitchen gift but the rising interior design trend for table lamps on the countertop can not be ignored. They create much softer light than the classic over-island pendants, and so are much more beguiling to live around.
Price: $31.99
There was a time that a cocktail shaker was a thoughtless gift - something you gave when you didn't know what to give. But fast forward to now when the home bar - or cocktail corner - is most prized part of the home and this showpiece becomes a hero in its own right.
Price: $150
Nuts, olives, dip - this little set of matching bowls is - there's no other word for it - darling. Imagine these, full with snacks and laid out for guests to marvel at on arrival, next to a tray of cocktails? Perfection.
Price: $56 for four
Long stemmed glasses are not as elegant as they first seem - the drinker has to tip their head back all the way to get the last drops. This stubbier version is actually a lot easier to use.
Price: $42.99
Asymmtetry always looks more organic, and therefore more relaxed - a good vibe for hosts. This stoneware platter is ideal for heaped salads brought straight to table.
Price: $195
I was asked a couple months back to source someone an 'attractive electric kettle.' I tried, and told them no such thing existed. But guess what? It does! Elegant spout, soft ivory color - it's attractive! I would love to get this as a gift.
Price: $54
The classic ikat print comes in several colorways for these rounded placemats that manage to be both smart yet jolly at the same time.
Price: $58
It's so tactile but what I love most is how unbalanced and interesting the silhouette is. As beautiful on the table holding water as on the shelf, empty, an objet in its own right.
Price: $26.99
This book has been lauded by every food writer around and I've cooked three dishes from it that have all been sublime. Gurdeep's recipes seem to shimmer with flavor. A modern classic.
Price: $69
Not only does this slender coffee maker take up minimal space and serve up perfect drip it also does you an ice coffee. Multi-functional and muchly covetable.
Price: $17.95
Only a true cook knows the value of a pot holder - but when you know, you know. So much more compact than an oven mitt, easier to store and faster to grab, they're ideal when you've got all the pans on the go. And this is so stylish!
Price: $24
This stuff is so good. Poured out into a bowl for bread to be dipped this is an instant appetizer. Or drizzled over salads before they reach the table. I adore it.
Price: $138
Old school charm of a long-armed pepper mill meets modern decadence - after all, it's over $100 for a pepper mill. But what a pepper mill this is. A really special - and special for the absurdity of spending this on that - gift.
Price: $42.99
Every host needs several vases close at hand - ideally wide necked, so they can just place gifts of flowers straight into them without fussing too much.
Price: $29.40
When not hosting, this becomes a place to hold candles and objets on a coffee table. When hosting, this tray comes into its own, stylishly letting you pass round drinks.
Price: $220
I've drunk out of the matching teacups at a breakfast the designer Tom Dixon held in London, and they were so satisfying to hold. The teapot, however, is the hero. Brew loose leaves in it and it's a joy to behold.
Price: $17
This truly unique-looking ceramic candlestick with a square base is padded underneath and can be placed atop a table, by the window, or even placed on the floor. Its light beige color makes it an easy addition to a hosting table.
Price: $29.95 for a set of four
Designed in black and white, these resin coasters look like works of art. Perfect for gifting, these come tied up in black suede.
Price: $6.97
These small, sculptural items in shiny gold finish will add a bit of glam to the festivities. A trio of slicer, fork, and knife make a great housewarming or Christmas gift.
Price: $23
Choose these burgundy-toned sets of candles to light up the dinner table this Christmas. These have a burn time of approx 7 hours.
Price: $26
This versatile piece will surely impress the receiver. The stand can be used for placing cakes and other desserts, and for storing jewelry, trinkets, candles, plants, or small decor items.
Price: $38
Years ago I was working on a gift guide and suggested a trivet - it's a thing you put hot pots down on so they don't mark the counter - and my editor said it was a garbage idea for a gift. She wasn't a cook, and admittedly it wasn't as structural as this one which, I still maintain, if you cook or a host a lot, you'll be thrilled with.
Price: $178
The subtle gold detailing lifts this gorgeously slubby linen tablecloth from the level of being a nice-to-have to becoming a covetable collectable. Any host will love it.
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