Christmas gifts that every home cook needs

Good quality cast iron cookware is an essential in the kitchen and STAUB's Cocotte is our go-to. This space-saving, nesting set consists of a deep dish 'Cocotte', a frying pan, a saute pan and a lid, with a diameter of 24 cm. Easily go from all types of hobs (including induction) and straight into the oven, with STAUB having a heat tolerance of up to 250°C.

The secret actually lies within the lid though, as it has a specially-contoured lid design which gives it excellent moisture-retention properties, acting as a self-basting system to ensure a continuous rainfall effect evenly over the contents.

A good knife should not only be functional, but they should look beautiful too, and that's where Wüsthof step in. They've released gorgeous new colours in their classic knives (think lilac, rust, light pink and beige) but it's the coral peach colourway that really grabs my attention. Consider the chef's knife the hero of your kitchen — an all-rounder tool for slicing and dicing a variety of items and will be your most used knife in the line-up.

You've probably seen the colourful Microplane graters before (which we also love) but can't go past the sleek, Black Sheep Series. The matte black is super stylish and still just as sturdy and sharp as the original. You can grate anything from hard cheeses, citrus fruits, chocolate, garlic, chilli, cinnamon, nutmeg and more! The perfect stocking filler.

This affordable hand blender was awarded as our 'best budget' and 'runner-up' in our best hand blender test. It's an essential piece of kit in our kitchen and this one scored top marks for blitzing even the most challenging ingredients. It also comes with a blending jar attachment for whipping up sauces, soups and aioli's in no time.

Not only for making many cups of tea, a good quality kettle like this Dualit one is perfect for all home cooks. With a sleek silver body and a copper trim on the handle and base, boiling water will never look more chic. Make up to 6 cups of boiling water in a flash!

This makes crushing garlic an absolute breeze and is strong enough to crush multiple cloves at a time. The handle is super sturdy and comfortable and it also happens to be dishwasher safe, too.

Danish brand Moebe has released a range of beautiful oak cutting boards and we're obsessed with the quality and feel of them! It's designed with a tapered V shaped edge which gives it two main functions: to make it easy to pick up and carry, and to create a narrow edge for the board to stand on and dry after being cleaned.

This is one the coolest and sleekest coffee machines out there and it makes such a fab gift for the home cook that loves their coffee. This model scored 94/100 in our best pod machine test and was praised for its quick, reliable and consistently-good espresso shot. Plus, it'll extract that important first shot in the morning in under a minute.

The latest model from KitchenAid has proved very popular with our experts at The Good Housekeeping Institute, scoring a whopping 96/100! Described as being a joy to use and excelling across all tests. It’s intuitive with a clever half-speed setting that’s ideal for lightly folding in ingredients, too. This is the ultimate gift for a serious home cook and best suited to those who can make room for it on their kitchen counters.

A must-have when you're baking or working with chocolate, this reusable non-stick baking sheet is great for making cookies, macarons and a whole host of other baked goods. It can be used in temperatures of up to 250 degrees C and is a cinch to clean, too.

These salt and pepper grinders from Danish brand, Audo, might be a little on the pricier side, but we can vouch for them. They look incredibly beautiful displayed in the kitchen, are very durable and don't tarnish and efficiently grind salt and pepper for all your cooking needs.

Smeg is always on our wishlist and make great Christmas gifts, not only for their beautiful retro designs and colourways, but also because they perform incredibly well. This hand mixer was the winner in our best electric whisks by the Good Housekeeping Institute, and scored a huge 94/100. We love using this in all of our cakes and bakes and it would make a seriously perfect present for the baker in your life.

A thermometer is an essential in the kitchen, especially if you love to make jams, cook meat to perfection, and want to work with different sugar techniques in baking. This digital thermometer is instant read and comes with a little clip on the lid so you can attach it to the side of your pot or pan if you need a free hand.

This is one of the hardest working items in my kitchen and I adore my super sturdy aluminium baking tin from Nordic Ware. It's a really useful size, doesn't warp and won't rust. I'm always using it for baking, it's the ideal size to roast a whole chicken with room for veg, and it's safe in the freezer (hello summer granitas). Perfect for rising bread dough, as it comes with a handy lid. Plus, you can transport your creations easily in the sealed tin when heading to a picnic or a friend's place.

Serve salad in style with these beautiful brass-coloured salad servers. The long handles make for easy grip and the flat heads mean you can grab lots of salad when used together. This is a definite must-have if you know a home cook who loves to host dinner party (or just a salad fiend).

An essential in every kitchen, the OXO Good Grips measuring jug is sleek, durable, and has a lifetime guarantee. Perfect for precisely measuring liquids.

The six-piece utensils set from Our Place is a dream to cook with. Each utensil is made from durable and flexible silicon and is suitable to use on any type of pan, too. They look super chic and the best part is they're all dishwasher-safe!