by W Thomas Payne

Created on: December 17, 2007   Last Updated: December 29, 2011

A budding chef in your life? Are you totally stuck on what to give them this Christmas? Why guess what gift to give the cook in your life! Take a quick look at the top selling kitchen gadgets and tools this year, according to Amazon.com. From this assortment, there is something to fit nearly any budget, and some will even fit in a stocking!

1. KitchenAid's Artisan Series Mixer. The standard for mixers, KitchenAid continues its series of minimalist refinements and attachments for its classic mixer, that goes well beyond a mere mixer in the variety of chopping, kneading, and, well, mixing tasks. A "must have" for a serious cook.

2. Oster 4207 Electric Wine Opener. Perfect for the beginning oenophile (that's a wine lover), an Oster electric wine opener takes the struggle out of removing corks from wine bottles with a snazzy design flair. Not as showy as pulling out your sommelier cork extractor, but a lot handier than fighting and destroying the cork.

3. The Hillary Nutcracker. This one may not be for everyone (but I'm not sure why). You have to admit that whoever came up with the idea of casting Hillary Clinton as a nutcracker has a great sense of humor.

4. George Foreman Next Grilleration grill. Boxing champ George Foreman came up with one heck of an invention with his original grill. George refined his original design with the features on this baby. It's hard to imagine, but If you haven't used a George Foreman Grill before, take a look at this multifunctional gadget that comes with 5 removable grill plates for making waffles, cooking paninis, grilling, baking, and griddle cooking.

5. Cuisinart ICE-20 1 Quart Ice Cream Maker. This is as close to handmade as you can get with an electric ice cream maker. The Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker delivers delicious ice cream without the muscle needed for a crank model.

6. Cuisinart GR-4 Grill. Almost a copycat of the Foreman Grill, with similar features and price point, but its hinged lid permits slightly larger dual-sided grilling.

7. Whirley-Pop Stovetop Popcorn Popper. A classic popcorn popper. Feel the satisfaction of controlling the process for evenly popped popcorn. Fun for the entire family.

8. Silpat Non-stick Silicone Baking Mat. Concerned with fat, but don't want to give up baking cookies or other baked goodies? You can eliminate the need for greasing up the baking sheet with this easy-clean liner.

9. Back-to-Basics TEM Egg and Muffin Toaster. This is one slick device! The Egg & Muffin Toaster cranks out two muffins and a poached egg simultaneously for a quick breakfast sandwich.

10. Calphalon Commercial Every-Day Pan. A nice modification to the millennia-old wok, it gives you more flat surface area to work with for frying, but retains the tall walls and curved surfaces for stir frying. This is a great compromise for the cook with limited cabinet space for a wok and a frying pan.

One of these is sure to fit under the tree this Christmas for the cook in your life. Many are also great as wedding gifts, or for your first home. Go forth, and cook!

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