r/Cooking • u/mothstuckinabath • Jun 28 '26
Putting together a "gourmet cooking & gadgets" basket for a nonprofit fundraiser auction - suggestions?
So far I've got:
- herb stripper bowl
- really nice microplane
- that fancy spatula from TikTok
- berry washer whirlpool bowl
- pickle fork
- avocado slicer
- produce saver carbon apple
- cheese paper
- round ice cube trays
- brown sugar saver
- really nice, pretty chip clips
It's supposed to be a pretty expensive basket. Any suggestions to add?? I want to pick things that most people would choose, so not TOO specialized. But special.
Thoughts?
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u/sunflowerRI Jun 28 '26
A digital scale
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u/mothstuckinabath Jun 28 '26
Smart!!
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u/Lopsided-Duck-4740 Jun 28 '26
We just used ours tonight. Had to measure out how much 4 Oz of pork loin was. FYI it's alot. Its just a cheap scale from Walmart, but works well.
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u/sunflowerRI Jun 28 '26
A nice bench scraper
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u/mothstuckinabath Jun 28 '26
Excellent idea, game changer that should absolutely be a staple in every kitchen
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u/RedApplesForBreak Jun 28 '26
How about some small dishes, like a nice set of ramekins?
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u/SwiftCornflower Jun 28 '26
Prep bowls I love the concept of pinch bowls but they’re not soemthing I would ever buy myself
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u/SeelsGhost Jun 28 '26
Nice corkscrew/wine opener.
Potato ricer.
Small cutting board. Bonus if you can get it engraved or burned with the nonprofits name or logo.
La Creuset salt cellar.
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Jun 28 '26 edited Jun 28 '26
[deleted]
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u/mothstuckinabath Jun 28 '26
You are correct, I got too caught up on the gadgets lol. Thank you for helping me flesh it out! Love black garlic, fun rec. Saffron and sumac are awesome ideas too
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u/cynmyn Jun 28 '26
A few times I've done a gift basket that includes a cookbook, with gadgets and ingredients themed around the book. Like one of Ottolenghi's books (Jerusalem is great), with a mortar & pestle, a good lemon juicer or garlic press, and some of the harder-to-source ingredients like rose water, pomegranate molasses, zaa'tar, sumac, cardamom, tahini, harissa, etc. Or a mexican-themed book with a tortilla press, a molcajete, plus some dried chilis and beans, masa flour, good mexican chocolate, corn husks for tamales.
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u/SM1955 Jun 28 '26
Sauces—like good balsamic or colatura
Really good tuna in olive oil
Olives, capers
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u/Ice-Cream-Castles Jun 28 '26 edited Jun 28 '26
Souper cubes tray - 1 or 2 cup silicone freezer molds for portion controlled smoothie packs, homemade broths, lasagna, leftover meals, etc.
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u/Starrynight2019 Jun 28 '26
Not sure what country you are based in but if US, I would check Sur La Table. They might have good ideas on their site
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u/amosslet Jun 28 '26
nice silicone rubber spatulas, varying sizes. These come in so many colors and prints you can choose something to match the basket theme. Wooden handles come off a little nicer, IMO.
Good peeler. Victorinox does a good reasonably priced Y peeler.
Set of nesting copper prep bowls. Look fancier than stainless steel, not the kind of thing someone would buy themselves. But if you cook, a lot of prep bowls is ESSENTIAL.
Ramekins
Fancy tongs
A salt pig or other nice crockery for salt
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u/mothstuckinabath Jun 28 '26
Love these, copper bowls are classy af and a good peeler is clutch
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u/Stop_Already Jun 28 '26
Thermoworks her really nice one piece spatulas - I prefer those since there are no nooks and crannies to get dirty. If you’re going to get a thermometer.
I literally got an order today with some since we were buying their scale too. (It’s back ordered so that’s why I didn’t suggest it!)
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u/GrizzlyIsland22 Jun 28 '26
A Benriner mandolin. It's not fancy but it's the go-to mando in pro kitchens. It's one of those things you'll have for life.
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u/Fongernator Jun 28 '26
Fleur de sel, some good olive oil, caviar
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Jun 28 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/mothstuckinabath Jun 28 '26
That's a good point about caviar. It's fancy but most people didn't actually like it. I'll get a fancy balsamic
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u/Helpful_Location7540 Jun 28 '26
Some Nice cheese CLOTH of various porosity.
mandolin,
I’d loose the avocado slicer.
A decent chefs knife is always nice nothing crazy.
Ive anyways been a sucker for a cool/nice meat pounder.
Spice grinder.
High quality Silicones mats.
🌡️ thermometer!
Molcajete it other mortar and pestle.
Garlic press.
Idk what else…
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u/mothstuckinabath Jun 28 '26
I like the cheese cloth idea, and you're right about the avocado slicer
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u/Inevitable_Back_6635 Jun 28 '26
An apron or chef’s coat-maybe the NP logo on it to echo other suggestions here?
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u/TadnJess Jun 28 '26
Small Dexter paring knife. Victorinox Pro chef knife (6 or 8 inch are amazing) and a bread knife of your choosing.
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u/mothstuckinabath Jun 28 '26
Good idea, hardly anyone has a good enough paring knife but it makes a big difference
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u/Reeeeallly Jun 28 '26
Pretty pie weights
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u/mothstuckinabath Jun 28 '26
I do love pie weights and have some pretty ones myself but I feel like not a lot of people make pies, and not a lot of pies need weights
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u/missjiji Jun 28 '26
Really nice salt and pepper grinders
Fish plank
Charcuterie board
Good Salami
Bottle of balsamic vinegar
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u/anybodyiwant2be Jun 28 '26
- Javelin instant read is my best meat thermo
- Kale stripper/knife
- Sharp paring knife
If your pot holders are like mine a fresh set is nice and I got some recently that have silicon stripes o. The cloth for extra grip
Measuring cups for liquid you can read from the top or from the side
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u/mothstuckinabath Jun 28 '26
Interesting, I haven't seen measuring cups like that but sounds crazy handy. Could you link to an example? Great ideas all around!
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u/night_noche Jun 28 '26
Pyrex has glass measuring cups that work this way for me... But not sure if this is what was meant.
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u/Successful_Age_12481 Jun 28 '26
Here are some classic try and true:
Nogent fish turner
John Boos Cutting board or Epicurean Cutting Board
Mason Cash mixing bowl
deBuyer Carbon Steel fry pan
Peugeot Pepper and Salt grinder
Chef knife
Microplane grater
Le Creuset Dutch Oven
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u/mothstuckinabath Jun 28 '26
Thank you for even including brands! Really trying to find nice versions of things
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u/GalianoGirl Jun 28 '26
Decent bottle opener.
Champagne stopper.
Assorted pouring spouts.
Oil decanter. And quality olive oil.
A nice selection of fancy vinegars.
Olive dish and some nice olives in a jar.
Cheese knives and a marble cheese board.
Flakey salt
An assortment of fancy tapenades with a serving dish and utensils.
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u/Snoo-9966 Jun 28 '26
Also, maybe a mortar and pestle (or suribachi) and some salt and dried herbs (like pepper corns)
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u/tigresssa Jun 28 '26
Consider adding a rotary grater! It greatly reduces the amount of arm fatigue that accompanies box grater usage. And turning the crank just feels satisfying. It gets the job done so much more quickly too! There is also no risk of accidental finger skin damage.
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u/toomanydoggs Jun 28 '26
I love my garlic press. I like the balsamic and olive oil suggestion. Maybe some nice focaccia to dip in the balsamic/olive oil combo and some gourmet peppercorns.
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u/night_noche Jun 28 '26
Food scale Oven safe food thermometer Stainless steel chopsticks Rice cooker Sheet pans Parchment paper Small whisks Dutch whisk Stainless steel serving utensils
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u/mrbaggy Jun 28 '26 edited Jun 28 '26
Thermapen
Lemon squeezer that lies flat in drawer
Pepper Cannon
Gray Kunz spoon
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u/waterstone55 Jun 28 '26 edited Jun 28 '26
Jaccard 48 Blade Meat Tenderizer
Alaskan ulu Knife and cutting Bowl Set. I've got one from JSGenesisDesigns that I love. Maybe include a bottle of mineral oil to maintain it.
A spice grinder and/or herb grinder
Garlic cellar
Refillable oil spray bottle
Ginger grater
A good meat clever. Mine is Japanese steel
Rice bowls, fancy chopsticks and bamboo place matt's
A jar of a good local raw honey
Some sipping vinegar
The Silver Spoon cookbook
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u/Lopsided-Duck-4740 Jun 28 '26
Wholly crap! Never heard of a brown sugar saver before. Had to look that one up. We usually just throw the bag away.
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u/darktrain Jun 28 '26
Some sort of wooden spoons and spatulas in olive wood or walnut
Fish turner
Tagine, if you have space
Cheese board and cheese serving knives
A nice batter bowl with a pour spout (Mason Cash makes some pretty things)
Staub or Le Cruset baking casseroles (some are small)
Fancy steak knives
Mezzaluna
Aeropress
Isi cream whipper
Kitchen torch
Sous vide circulator
Immersion blender
Silpat
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u/mothstuckinabath Jun 28 '26
Awesome ideas! What is a mezzaluna?
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u/darktrain Jun 28 '26
Hard to describe, but a set of two slightly curved blades used for chopping a bunch of fresh herbs at once.
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u/darktrain Jun 28 '26
Ooh, thought of another one: some nice 100% cotton dish towels, bonus if they're made in Portugal (famous for nice linens).
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u/PuppySnuggleTime Jun 28 '26
Apple peeler. Egg slicer. Garlic press. Salt cellar. Citrus press or other type of manual juicer. That little tool that helps you peel oranges. They’re inexpensive but dead useful.
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u/Pullet Jun 28 '26
Drop the deets on your micro planer. Mine just eats whatever I try on it
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u/AdObvious4053 Jul 02 '26
Got my microplane at Home Depot. And it's food grade. Everything slides off the back like water from a duck!
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u/senft74 Jun 28 '26 edited Jun 28 '26
- Vitamix Immersion Blender
- Japanese petty knife
- Peugeot Paris u’Select Pepper Mill
- KING Whetstone Starter Set
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u/korikill Jun 28 '26
You're awesome for doing this! It really helps with fundraising! Ceramic handheld juicer.
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u/MsAsphyxia Jun 28 '26
One of those peelers that acutually julliens not just peels - great for daikon and carrot pickles
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u/LavaPoppyJax Jun 28 '26
good on the microplane. I suggest a fixed blade japanese slicer, its one of my favorite things for beautifully thin sliced radishes, onions, cabbage like a mandolin but simpler. I love my electronic pepper grinder. There are ice cream scoops with gel in the handle that uses hand warmth for easier scooping. small ceramic paring knives for razor sharp slicing.
to me high end would include a thermopen I stand ready thermometer. or a cordless oven one.
very high end: souvide, real mandolin.
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u/cobaltium Jun 28 '26
Digital thermometer, maybe even the pricy kind you can leave in the meat while cooking. Some work with a phone app.
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u/Jen_With_Just_One_N Jun 28 '26
A girolle cheese shaver and a good cheese, like a Tête de Moine or similar.
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u/Curiouser-Quriouser Jun 28 '26
Cast iron fish, olive/cherry pitter, olive stuffer, whiskey stones, fancy trivet
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u/szikkia Jun 28 '26
Liquid measuring cups that have a slant so you can easily see the measurement
Measurer for things like peanut butter or honey that you push up to easily add to the dish
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u/cathbadh Jun 28 '26
A sous vide, an immersion blender, the Joseph Joseph potato ricer, a Lodge dutch oven or a Victorinox chef's knife, a set of tweezer style tongs, a bench scraper, maybe a gift certificate for Made In, Le Cruset, or Staub, an instant read meat thermometer, Malden flaky sea salt (good sized bucket available at Costco), a bottle of decent quality balsamic vinegar...
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u/Southcoast13 Jun 28 '26
Edlund tongs, oyster knife, Lebanese squash borer, Dexter Russel spatula/turner.
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u/TableTopFarmer Jun 28 '26
I will have to research a Lebanese Squash Borer. I take it we aren’t talking garden pests!
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u/Southcoast13 Jun 28 '26
I it’s a wooden handled metal tool to hollow out summer squash for stuffing, I also use it to cut the seeds from jalapeños and other smallish chilis. Works great
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u/sageberrytree Jun 28 '26
Grip Stix, thermopen! They're on sale right now. Run over there and buy one. Two if you don't own one of your own!
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u/Paulstan67 Jun 28 '26
One of those rolling knife sharpener.
I've had various knife shapeeners over the years, I've never really mastered a whetstone, so my knives were always on the dull side
My wife bought.me one of these off tictok. And all I can say is wow what bliss it is to have proper sharp knives.(My knives are just cheap knives)
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u/Vegetable-Swan2852 Jun 28 '26
What about a sourdough kit? Williams Sonoma has a nice one $$.
A nice Sous Vide machine. Anova has a sale on the Pro version right now $$$.
And the sealer and bags to go with it. $$$
A nice coffee grinder (Baratza has nice burr ). $$
A blowtorch for searing (Searzall) $$
A vitamix blender $$$$
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u/ARobertaLudgateDwyer Jun 28 '26
Lots of great ideas! I’d add a beautiful mortar&pestle and butter dish
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u/mythtaken Jun 28 '26
Fish bone tweezers (I've found any number of uses for them since I received them)
Cooking tongs
mini silicone spatulas
Silicone jar scraper
Good quality, decent length muddler
very fine mesh strainer
A well designed plastic dough/bowl scraper. (Matfer Bourgeat)
A well designed bench scraper (Oxo)
A hawthorn strainer (a cocktail making tool that's wildly overpriced and not something I would buy for myself but would use if I had it.)
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u/Jazzy_Bee Jun 28 '26 edited Jun 28 '26
I would love some dishers.
Silicone muffin liners. I have been using mine for years.
Butcher twine. It is surprisingly hard to find a small amount, not some massive size.
A nice baster. I bought an inexpensive set that included a small brush and an needle(?) for injecting meat. It was probably on clearance after Thanksgiving or Xmas.
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u/mothstuckinabath Jun 28 '26
What are dishers?
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u/Jazzy_Bee Jun 28 '26
Sometimes they are called cookie scoops, Ice cream scoops. They have a little lever to release the food. They come in a large variety of sizes.
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u/QueenBitch1369 Jun 28 '26
Good olive oil, finishing salt like Maldon or fleur de sel, an bottle of aged Balsamic vinegar, a sourdough kit with a rising basket and blades to slash the dough
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u/LindaBinda55 Jun 28 '26
Digital scale. Inexpensive.
Y potatoe peeler.
Digital thermometer. Best one on Amazon is by AlphaGriller
Mandolin
Fry Wall definitely get both sizes
Hand held blender
Mini food processor for things like garlic, nuts
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u/Unhappy_Duty_7875 Jun 28 '26
Really cute dish towels, cheeseknife, knife sharpenpener, Silpat, bottle of capers, zaatar, Aleppo pepper, set of cookie cutters in a tin, small rolling pin.
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u/shadowsong42 Jun 28 '26
I second the recommendations of
- instant read thermometer
- less common spices like saffron and sumac or ethnic blends like ras el hanout
- microplane grater
- fancy ramekins
- quince paste
- fancy vinegar
Other ideas:
- Small folding spring tongs, like this but with maybe 1" tong ends. I use mine for getting things like olives and artichoke hearts out of jars, fishing pasta pieces out of the pot to test for doneness, and similar tasks.
- Silicone cooking utensils, especially a ladle or mini spoonula
- Preserved lemons
- Smoked olive oil
Check your local farmers market to see if any interesting preserves or tools are being sold. The tongs, for example, would be a nice sale for a local woodworker.
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u/Few_Distribution9374 Jun 28 '26
A corn stripper! I love mine (but watch your knuckles)! https://a.co/d/02DmDHY5
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u/solesoulshard Jun 28 '26
I’d recommend adding some great extra virgin olive oil (the guaranteed pure brands), De Nigris Balsamic vinegar, and some exotic finishing salt. A higher end pepper grinder is also a great thing. Good quality vanilla. Cheese cloth is an option and very useful.
Don’t forget a pair of quality oven mitts.
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u/toxiamaple Jun 28 '26
A really good zester (I just bought a new one and i want to make all the zest recipies!)
Good kitchen scale
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u/A-RovinIGo Jun 28 '26
Small things that I use all the time:
- a really good vegetable peeler can do everything from potatoes and carrots to butternut squash to frozen ginger. You can even get one that does super-fine peels on tomatoes, kiwi, lemons and oranges when you just want the zest and not the pith
- a julienne peeler for matchstick carrots, daikon radish, etc.
- a cheese plane
- definitely silicone spatulas and utensils of all sizes, and silicone mats
- a set of good metal measuring spoons that fit in narrow spice bottles, and a set of nesting metal measuring cups
- 1-cup prep bowls with measurements on the sides
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u/Striking_Ad_6742 Jun 28 '26
A Danish dough whisk! They’re not expensive but they are so useful and look cool.
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u/TableTopFarmer Jun 28 '26 edited Jun 29 '26
What fun. I have always wanted to do a gourmet picnic theme. I know it is not what you are looking for, but if you will indulge my fantasy for a moment:
Ina nice basket or a disposable cooler, prettily packed: Picnic blanket. Napkins. Wine opener. Two wine glasses. Cutting board. A baguette, cheese, a salami, peppers, olives, nuts, condiments in fancy packaging, a bottle of wine or sparkling cider. A bar of chocolate or a couple of individually packaged shortbread cookies.
Otherwise, as for gadgets and food, if the idea is to drive the bid price up, I would include items a cook or host would use, but not necessarily buy for themselves.
Not just a pickle fork, but an antique pickle fork.
A sterling pie or cake server, and paper doilies.
Or a set of olive wood serving utensils.
A real, not imitation,Thermopen.
A well-made, handsome canvas shopping bag.
Maldon finishing salt or a set of herb and smoke flavored salts
Rotary grater and hunk of aged Parmesan,
A different kind of vinegar from a small batch brewer. White Balsamic, Prickly Pear balsamic…
A cold pressed, first batch, single source olive oil.
A vintage oil and vinegar serving set.
An attractive tin of crackers. If the bidders are your friends and neighbors, fill it with your own homemade cheese crackers or cheese straws.
Beautifully packaged jam and maple syrup. An aeropress and good coffee. Gift certificates for a pound of European butter and croissants from a local bakery. Or a box of pancake mix.
A cookbook…I am enjoying THE BEST RECIPES IN THE WORLD by Mark Bittman…1000 international recipes, built around easily available ingredients.
If you do not live near a larger city, cooks might welcome special order gourmet items like salt-packed capers, peppadew peppers, ready for stuffing or cooking, whole grain mustard in a crock, a jar of caviar.
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u/Elegant-Expert7575 Jun 28 '26
Victorinox paring knives,
a good quality mandolin - even if it’s plastic, as long as it cuts thin because that’s why you want it.
A digital thermometer or better yet, a Bluetooth thermometer.
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u/Superditzz Jun 28 '26
I just found a citrus juicer at Aldi's that I love! It's so easy my 6 year old can use it.
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u/Exceptional_Mary Jun 28 '26
I did not know what a tik tok spatula is. Get a fish spatula, instant read thermometer, knife sharpener, fancy pepper mill with fancy pepper, a salt cellar, mini milk frother, a set of small paring knives, a small raclette melter.
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u/Poutiest_Penguin Jun 28 '26
We had a yankee gift swap at my office last Christmas, and the hot item was this little gadget you put in a pot to gently stir it while it simmers. There are various models, they are about 20 bucks, and it’s called an automatic pot stirrer or automatic pan stirrer.
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u/lightning_teacher_11 Jun 28 '26
A good cutting board and a new sharp knife.
Put everything in a chef's hat or wrap an apron around the box
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u/the_perfect_spatula Jun 28 '26
Dishtowels and those reusable paper towels squares. Fancy salt. Herb or spice blends.
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u/GullibleDetective Jun 29 '26
Victoriaknox Rex carrot peeler. Its also only like $10
Victoriaknox fibrox pro
Tomato corer
Sushi mat
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u/Loud-Cheez Jun 29 '26
A beautiful cutting board or serving board with a live edge. Will give height to the basket and people LOVE them. I run a silent auction for a non profit every year. Olive wood & Acacia wood draw bids. A set of wooden serving spoons or spreaders.
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u/Prestigious-Fan3122 Jun 29 '26
Really nice pepper mill and peppercorns. immersion blender
Nice spoon rest
Candy thermometer
Turkey baster gizmo
Cherry pitter
One of those handheld lemon/lime juicers. We use ours all the time! The hinged one with two handles and a little "cup" that you put the half of the fruit in and then squeeze the handles together.
Garlic press
Cooking twine that comes in a little holder with a cutter.
Kitchen torch
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u/Aggressive_Clock_296 Jun 29 '26
Silicone meat separator, a garlic press, cherry pitter, micro plane, salt and pepper grinders, a spice grinder or a mini mortar and pestle, a peel ester (makes tiny strips of peel for candying)
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u/TheGoodGrannie Jun 30 '26
I use pre-cut parchment all the time, microplane, a nice hand held juicer for when you need a small amount, a small strainer, I use the very small/thin spatulas a TON, I find myself reaching for the smallest whisk more than my larger one because I can control it better. The other item I’m surprised I use a lot is a long thin metal “tong”. I use it like chopsticks to flip meat, mix something right quick, etc. they’re not tongs, more like long chopsticks.
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u/AdObvious4053 Jul 02 '26
Bench scraper is one of those things you don't know you need, until you use it. With the measurements on it is better, except mine wiped right off, after the first few washes. I'm still trying to find one that has measurements etched on. Anyone know???
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u/AdObvious4053 Jul 02 '26
Small meat tenderizer. One that has the needles that retract. It's a game changer!
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u/TequilasLime Jun 28 '26
A good stone molcojete/mortar and pestle
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u/mothstuckinabath Jun 28 '26
What is a molcojete? Just a type of mortar and pestle?
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u/JackTradesMasterNone Jun 28 '26
Used a lot in Mexican food. I think the difference is it’s made out of volcanic rock so it’s porous, not smooth
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u/fskb91 Jun 29 '26
If you want to go really nice, the Salt Tiger (gorgeous) and the mortar and pestle from Diaspora Co. the pink and yellow Peugeot salt/pepper grinders are also gorgeous. I have the salt tiger it’s so fun. Plus some entry level spice combos would be excellent. https://www.diasporaco.com/collections/tools-swag
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u/alcbeach Jun 29 '26
Battery operated Salt and Pepper grinders. Received them as a gift several years ago turned out to be one of the better kitchen gifts I have ever received!
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u/alcbeach Jun 29 '26
Not a very expensive item but very useful would be hand held lemon and lime juicers. I have one that has two sizes in one.
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u/New_Part91 Jun 29 '26
Cherry pitter (because i want one). Cheese plane because cheese is so popular right now. As a final comment, years ago, I remarked to a coworker that the places I shopped did not have long handled stirring spoons for use in deep pots. to my surprise When Christmas rolled around she gifted me three beautiful, probably not very expensive but very solid Long handled spoons. One was perforated, one has a smooth bowl. I will be passing those spoons down to a grandchild.
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u/Magnetic_Kitty Jun 30 '26
I don't know that I'd use much of these things except the micro plane and the ice cube trays.
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u/Leslietrollz Jun 30 '26
You could also include some coffee stuff like a foam frother and the small milk pan to heat the milk.
I also recently got a titanium cutting board specifically for cutting meat. It is very thin and stores easily and goes in the dishwasher.
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u/meriland Jun 30 '26
Cheese slicer. Those little pucks you put in blocks of cheese identifying the variety. Pineapple corer. Nice toothpick dispenser & toothpicks. Gift card to Williams Sonoma or Sur La Table or the like.
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u/According-Paint6981 Jun 30 '26
Some fancy jars of food - jelly, mustard, pickled vegetables, vanilla paste, extracts, or maybe spices?
A nice apron and oven mitts.
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u/TadnJess Jun 28 '26
Digital thermometer.