Top gourmet kitchen gifts for your Christmas list from local kitchen stores

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — We visited our local kitchen stores Thyme in the Kitchen on Franklin Street and Capers Emporium in New Harmony to find the trendiest food gifts of the year, from stocking stuffers to small appliances. Here are the stores’ top picks — read to the end to find Chef Aimee’s number-one pick for best kitchen tool of the year (or maybe ever).

Capers Emporium

Everything popcorn: Popcorn is trendy again. Make a basket with a Whirlypop old-fashioned “Theater-style” stove-top popcorn popper ($29.95) with a variety of gourmet kernels, toppings and flavoring mixes from maple-scented French toast to Fiery Hot Thai seasoning.

Silicone Splatter Guard set, Kuhn Ricon — $29.95: Use these wire-reinforced silicon mats in the microwave as a splatter guard or as a microwave “baking” sheet. We were charmed by the lacy Keto cheese chips we made on them. Dishwasher safe.

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Microwave Pressure Cooker, Kuhn Rikon — $59.95:  Combine two time-saving devices for the quickest cook ever. Add meat and other ingredients, seal it, and have stew, ragu, or long-braised vegetables in under 30 minutes. Includes all necessary safety features.  

Extra Large Air Fryers, Nuwave — Starting at $149:  Air fryers have become so popular that the maximum size has increased from less than 6 quarts to 14 quarts. You can cook a whole meal including meat, a vegetable and even a dessert at the same time and in less time than it takes a conventional oven to pre-heat. With the purchase of an air fryer, Capers includes half off the price of an air fryer class for the purchaser and a friend.

Keto food gifts: Capers in-house bakery is now offering scratch-made Keto bread with almond and coconut flours for $10.95 a loaf (which isn’t expensive… almonds cost a lot more than wheat flour). You’ll also find Keto fat bombs at $1.25 each, less by the half-dozen and dozen; and Keto snickerdoodle cupcakes. Not all are available every day. Call ahead for availability or to place an order at 812-682-6112.

Packaged gourmet food items: Capers has 30 private-label jarred goodies from salsa to pickled quail eggs, candied jalapenos and more. Each is curated for quality by owner Mary Beth Guard. Other gift favorites are produced by Jala Jala, a company that makes small-batch jalapeño pepper products including jellies, sauces and spice rubs; and by Two Sisters at Home, which creates versatile spice mixes including the popular Crackalacka, which turns saltine crackers into a crunchy snack treat.

Fiesta Dishes: Collectable and useful tableware is always being released in new shapes and colors. New square saucers are adorable, and mini-pie bakers work for small cheesecakes, 2-4 serving pies and quiches.

Thyme in the Kitchen

Slide Straw, Zoku — $10: Non-disposeable straws have been a thing for a few years, but this one has a telescoping design, so it fits in your pocket or can be used in a cocktail or tall iced tea glass. It has a silicone mouthpiece and brush for cleaning.

Microwave Multi Mat, Progressive Prep — $10.95: Under the dish, it keeps drips off your turntable. On top, it is a splatter guard. It also can be used as a trivet, potholder, small dish drainer, jar opener or utensil rest. 

Specialty Cheese Knife Set, Trudeau Maison — $12: For your beautiful charcuterie board, this knife set is high quality and affordable. It contains a serving knife/fork for semi-firm cheeses, a soft cheese knife, a hard cheese chiseler, and a semi-firm cheese cutter.

Smoked Paprika, Bourbon Barrel Foods — $12.50: Smoked paprika is the magic secret ingredient of many chefs. Bourbon Barrel is a Louisville company that ages and smokes products with used Bourbon barrels. We also love the soy sauce, Worcestershire and smoked cracked black pepper.

Confetti Silicone Loaf Pan, Trudeau — $16: This sturdy pan is wire-reinforced so it keeps its shape when full of heavy batter. The baked bread falls right out, and it’s dishwasher safe.

Reusable Food Wrap, Bees Wrap — $18: Eliminate plastic wrap from your kitchen and the landfill. Organic cotton cloth is impregnated with jojoba oil and beeswax to snugly wrap and around food or cling to the top of any dish. Lasts at least six months and rinses clean with cool soapy water.

Chocolate Drizzler, LéKué — $18:  Melt chocolate or other candy chips in this squeezable silicone pillow, then drizzle using one of four differently-sized nozzles. Refrigerate leftover chocolate right in the drizzler until ready to microwave again.

And finally, Chef Aimee’s favorite new kitchen tool of the year and possibly ever:

Craftsman Hollow Edge Knife, 7”, Wusthof — Normally $129, on sale for $99 through the end of the year. Possibly the most useful knife ever invented, this hybrid design takes the place of four kitchen knives. The blade is wide for chopping chef’s knife-style, yet the thin point is delicate enough for boning. The depressions along the knife’s flanks and flattish edge on the rear portion mean it can be used like a Japanese santoku blade for thinly slicing vegetables and raw proteins with no suction effect, and the length and curved tip mean it works well as a filet/butcher knife. All this, and it sits comfortably in the hand and feels natural to use.

If you go

Capers Emporium is located at 602 Main St. in New Harmony

Phone: 812-682-6112

Hours:

Monday – Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Sunday noon-6 p.m.

Thyme in the Kitchen is located at 2308 W Franklin St.

Phone: 812-437-2726

Hours:

Monday – Friday 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Saturday 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Sunday closed