Christmas is around the corner; the time for gift ideas and present buying is upon us! Whether you’re writing your own Christmas list, or searching for that perfect gift for a family member, presents that are both indulgent and practical are always a great way to go.

Every home needs kitchen accessories; they make cooking for the family easier, they make activities like baking more fun, and beautiful accessories are the perfect finishing touch to any kitchen countertop! Yet buying new accessories or upgrading to higher-spec models is often low priority on the average household spending list.

This is why we think kitchen accessories make the perfect Christmas gifts! But with so many makes, models, and designs on the market, choosing which accessories to buy can feel like a daunting task. Not to worry though! Our kitchen experts have researched the best options on the market, so you don’t have to!  

Here’s our list of the top 5 kitchen accessory gifts for Christmas 2021… 

1.      Tefal Actifry - Air Fryer

Air fryers have grown massively in popularity over the last few years, and it’s easy to see why. As well as being a convenient way to make family favourites including chips, rotisserie chicken, and roast potatoes from scratch, air fryers are a great healthy alternative to frying. By only using a small amount of oil, making fried foods in the air fryer can help cut hundreds of calories and lots of unhealthy fats from your diet – perfect for that New Year health drive! 

The Tefal Actifry is our number one choice when it comes to air fryers for two reasons: its stirring paddle, and the price. The Actifry has a paddle which stirs the food as it cooks, which keeps you from having to shake or stir it periodically yourself. This saves you a lot of time and effort, making home-cooked dinners less of a hassle. In terms of price, the Actifry sits in the middle range of products on the market. What we found is that the Actirfy’s performance is a big step up from the cheaper air fryers, but it is still budget friendly compared to other models, which come in as high as £300 or more!

2.      Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser

Everyone loves hot chocolate, especially during the cosy Christmas period! But sometimes a powdery and watery instant hot chocolate just doesn’t cut it. The Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser makes a luxurious whipped hot chocolate, using flakes of real chocolate and patented ‘velvetising’ technology. In just 2.5 minutes, your loved ones could be curled up on the sofa at home with a barista-grade hot chocolate – that sounds simply perfect to us!

The Velvetiser is almost bang-on £100, and the large bags of Hotel Chocolat hot chocolate flakes come in at £8. With a range of colours and chocolate flake flavours available, you could treat your loved one to a Velvetiser that perfectly matches their kitchen, and a hamper of chocolate flakes in all their favourite flavours to top off the perfect present.

3.      Dutch Oven

Dutch ovens are brilliant for winter recipes. Being able to cook one-pan meals that can be started on the hob and finished in the oven really is a week-day godsend for family dinners! As well as being perfect for making stews, pot roasts, and casseroles, you can also bake beautiful loaves of bread in a Dutch oven.

When it comes to Dutch ovens, we would always recommend Le Creuset as the leading manufacturer. With beautiful looking and highly versatile kitchenware that lasts decades (no, we aren’t exaggerating!), you can see why Le Creuset has been the most popular option for cast iron dishes for generations. However, while almost anyone who owns one will agree they are worth the money, these dishes come in right at the upper end when it comes to price.

For a more budget friendly option, we’ve found that this cast-iron casserole dish from John Lewis is an amazing option. With a very similar look to Le Creuset, and raving 5-star reviews, this dish comes in at just £45-£65 depending on the size you get! 

4.      Pasta Making Machine

Learning how to make pasta is one of the most common goals for foodies (people who love food and enjoy cooking). And with New Year being the perfect time to learn a new skill, why not set your loved one up for success, and get them a pasta making machine for Christmas?

For a pasta maker that is easy to use, makes consistent and smooth pasta, and is ideal for beginners, we recommend the Imperia pasta machine. This machine costs around £70, which we think is excellent value for money given the quality and performance of the product. It is also easy to buy, as you can find it in John Lewis, Sous Chef, and many other kitchen shops, as well as on Amazon. Paired with a pasta recipe book, we think this makes the ideal kitchen accessory gift!

5.       Instant Pot Multi-cooker

If you are unfamiliar with the concept of multi-cookers, we are about to change your world forever. These cookers are a single appliance which can perform as many as 10+ different cooking functions, taking all the stress and effort out of cooking on a busy schedule. They sound almost too good to be true! Multi-cookers, though expensive, can make the perfect Christmas gift for yourself or a loved one as they have so many benefits (easier meals, less stress, and more counter space to name a few).

The Instant Pot Duo is a tried and tested product which has already taken the US market by storm. This multi-cooker has 7 functions: it’s a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, sauté pan, yoghurt maker, steamer, and food warmer. On top of this, it has separate settings for soup, stew, meat, beans, poultry, porridge, and multigrain! At £69.99-£99.99 RRP, the Instant Pot Duo comes in a lot cheaper than other multi-cookers, and although it may not have as many functions as some other products on the market, what more do you really need? 

We hope our recommendations have given you some food for thought on this year’s Christmas gifts! While there is no perfect recipe for the ideal gift, we genuinely believe anyone would be thrilled to receive any of these products.

And if you’re looking for more great kitchen gifts this Christmas, have a browse of our selection of appliances and accessories on our website.