40 Bestselling Cookbook & Kitchen Gift Ideas
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Every December I marvel at how much my cookbook and kitchen wish list has grown over the year. While I’ve undoubtedly bought things as the year went on, more things go on my list than come off of it. Then the end-of-year lists come out with best sellers, editors picks, new products announced, and suddenly I’m like a little kid huddled over the JCPenney Christmas catalog feverishly making a list for Santa. (I would love for someone like Amazon to put out an awesome Christmas catalog with grown-up toys, I loved that thing!) In an effort to help you narrow some things down, this is the first of three gift guides that I’ll be putting together for you this holiday season, each with a slightly different theme. This one is a roundup of some of the bestselling and highest rated cookbooks and kitchen toys. Maybe you’re shopping for others that love to spend time in the kitchen, or you’re putting together your own wish list… either way I guarantee you’ll find lots of new ideas in the way of cookbooks and things to play with in the kitchen! Enjoy!
Cookbooks
Amazon Best Cookbooks of 2011
1. Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking by Nathan Myhrvold
2. Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef by Gabrielle Hamilton
3. The Oxford Companion to Beer by Horst Dornbusch
4. The Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen
5. Essential Pepin: More Than 700 All-Time Favorites from My Life in Food by Jacques Pepin
6. Good Eats 3: The Later Years by Alton Brown
7. Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All, with Cocktails, Recipes, and Formulas by Brad Thomas Parsons
8. The Homesick Texan by Lisa Fain
9. Momofuku Milk Bar by Christina Tosi
10. Plenty: Vibrant Recipes from London’s Ottolenghi by Yotam Ottolenghi
Most Purchased Cookbooks of 2011 by Brown Eyed Baker Readers
1. Baked: New Frontiers in Baking by Renato Poliafito
2. The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz
3. Whoopie Pies: Dozens of Mix ‘em, Match ‘em, Eat ‘em Up Recipes by Sarah Billingsley
4. Baked Explorations: Classic American Desserts Reinvented by Renato Poliafito
5. Power Foods: 150 Delicious Recipes with the 38 Healthiest Ingredients by The Editors of Whole Living Magazine
6. Plate to Pixel: Digital Food Photography & Styling by Helene Dujardin
7. Baking Illustrated by America’s Test Kitchen
8. Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan
9. The Best Soups and Stews by Cook’s Illustrated Magazine Editors
10. The Bread Baker’s Apprentice by Peter Reinhart
Kitchen Toys
Best Selling Kitchen Items of 2011 (Amazon.com)
1. Wilton Easy Flex 3-Piece Silicone Spatula Set (Bakeware)
2. De’Longhi Espresso and Cappuccino Maker (Coffee, Tea & Espresso Appliances)
3. Lodge Logic 12-inch Cast Iron Skillet (Cookware)
4. The Original RedNek Wine Glass (Glassware & Drinkware)
5. Mr. Beer Premium Gold Edition Home Brew Kit (Home Brewing & Wine Making)
6. Mercer Cutlery Genesis 6-Piece Knife Set with Tempered-Glass Block (Kitchen Knives & Cutlery Accessories)
7. Thermos Stainless King 16-Ounce Leak-Proof Travel Mug (Kitchen Storage & Organization)
8. Sipping Stones – Set of 9 Grey Whiskey Chilling Rocks (Kitchen Utensils & Gadgets)
9. Presto PopLite Hot Air Corn Popper (Small Appliances)
10. Vinturi Essential Wine Aerator (Wine Accessories)
Most Purchased Kitchen Items of 2011 by Brown Eyed Baker Readers
1. Wilton 4-Piece Football Cookie Cutter Set
2. KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker Attachment
3. Norpro Cannoli Forms, Set of 4
4. OXO Good Grips V-Blade Mandoline Slicer
6. Wilton Non-Stick 12-Cavity Whoopie Pie Pan
7. OXO Good Grips Medium Cookie Scoop
8. Progressive International Folding Mandoline Slicer
9. Wilton Excelle Elite 3-Tier Cooling Rack
10. Wilton Baby Theme Cookie Cutter 4-Piece Set
So tell me, what cookbooks or kitchen toys are you wishing for this year??
Happy Shopping! 
Awesome List! I think I want everything on it! I am just gonna send this link right to my hubby as a little hint!!
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Fantastic
I can now officially make my wish list!
Sweet things galore right here
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Great ideas!
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Thanks for the list – I need, I need!
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What great gifts! I need them all,the only one I own is the cookie scoop. On my list this year is a Cuisinart Hot Pink Hand Mixer, 7 speeds! I saw it at Sur La Table, and I have to have it. I’m using a 20 year old Black and Decker!
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love your list…fab…& i want everything on it!!
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There are so many things here that I haven’t seen before…love that you picked out these cookbooks and unique items!
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You know how unfair this post is right? i think I just added a few to my list, hubby will not be happy with you;p
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This is a wonderful list of books and kitchen tools. Some I have and some are on my wish list. Love the book “Power Foods”! Really great the way it breaks the ingredients down and explains their nutritional benefit. Thanks!
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I would love pioneer womans cookbook!
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Thanks for the list, these are great ideas!
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I love all cookies!!!!!
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What a great list … the rednek wine glass cracked me up! I may need it also.
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Great list! As an amateur beer brewer, I want the Oxford Companion to Beer book!
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I would want Plate to Pixel.
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The Cook’s Illustrated cook book is on my list!
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I want pioneer woman’s cook book!!
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the perfect scoop looks sweet no pun intended
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I love that I own some of these things and have some others on my own wish list! And I hope you don’t mind, but I was inspired by one of your recipes and tried to healthify it! Check it out: http://cupcakesaremylife.blogspot.com/2011/12/healthier-pretzel-pb-truffles.html
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Great wishlist!! Quite a few of those are already on my list, now I have to add a couple more
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It’s funny….some of them I can absolutely see as best sellers and some leave me scratching my head!
You actually have one on my wish list…Cooks Illustrated cookbook!
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I absolutely love ‘Milk’ – I’m working my way through it right now. The corn cookies are my favorite so far!
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I really want Rose’s Heavenly Cakes Cookbook for Christmas this year
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This is great! It actually inspired me to buy my husband another christmas present! thank you so much!
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That new Nancy Silverton cookbook Mozza is sitting pretty at the top of my list this year! Although that Jaques Pepin one is a close second!
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On my mom’s list is Julia Usher’s newest cookbook. She has great cookie decorating ideas and cookie decorating is my family’s thing:)
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