Kitchenware: Ten Kitchenware Gift Ideas For Foodie Friends

Give the gift of great mealswith these kitchen must-haves, essential kitchenware that every aspiring chef needs:

Cast Iron Casserole Dish

These heavy-duty cast iron pots are fantastic. From baking to slow cooking you will be using this little beauty for everything! The cast iron casserole dish is an extremely versatile piece of kitchenware that is both practical and attractive enough to go straight from oven to table.

Professional Knife Set

A professional knife set is the ultimate addition to any kitchen. If the cook in your life does not own a great set of knives then this is the gift of choice.

Ideally your knife set should include the following all-rounders:a paring knife, utility knife, chef’s knife, carving knife and the indispensable bread knife.

Always take care of your knives and only purchase knives for persons over the age of eighteen.

Cast Iron Griddle

A true must-have for the meat lover in your life. This durable piece of kitchenware is perfect for steak, fish and vegetables, giving those ever-pleasing characteristic charred stripes.

Salt & Pepper Mills

A good set of salt and pepper mills are essential. Seasoning is a key part of any recipe and a good set of mills will go a long way in any kitchen as well as look stylish on yourdining table.

Wok

Everyone needs a good wok, that is versatile, spacious and easy to clean and quick to cook with;this piece of kitchenware is guaranteed to be a winning gift.

Traditionally used for cooking Asian cuisine, the wok is also great for simmering and deep-frying.

Book Stand

A cookbook stand is a wonderful addition to any kitchen, offering the perfect reading angle; this is a must for those who love following recipes.

Large Mixing Bowl

Another multipurpose piece of kitchenware, the mixing bowl will play a part in most recipes. There are many mixing bowls on the market so think about what it will mainly be used for and go from there when choosing.

Material options include ceramic, stainless steel and glass and many mixing bowls come with additional features including: measurements, pouring lips and stay-put silicone bases.

Chopping Board

You simply cannot go wrong with a solid wooden chopping board. This piece of kitchenware will be used morning, noon and night.

We recommend avoiding chopping boards made from glass and marble and to use wood or plastic to protect the blades of your knives.

Pestle & Mortar

This wonderful piece of kitchenware doubles as both a spice grinder and an ornament. Thetimeless pairing efficiently crushes spices and herbs to add a freshly ground kick to any dish and isavailable in ceramic, granite and marble.

Oven To Table Dish

Perfect for pasta dishes, pies and more. The oven to table dish is a great piece of kitchenware that is ideal for dinner parties and family meals. Look for one that is microwave, freezer and dishwasher safe.

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New ProCook Damascus Knives and Knife Sets Range!

Get Samurai strength and precision in the kitchen this season!

Introducing ProCook’s stunning range of Damascus X100 knives, made from Japanese steel acknowledged for being the best in the world.

Beautifully crafted using the same great artisan skills traditionally used in making samurai swords, the Damascus X100 range of knifes offer impressive hardness and impact toughness.

Crafted from Japanese Damascus steel with an official Rockwell hardness rating of 60+2 with 1% carbon for surgical sharpness. Each knife bladeboasts 66 layers of steel around a super hard central core offering unmatched sharpness and strength.

The ProCook Damascus knife range includes a paring, utility, 5” santoku, 6” chefs knife, 8” chefs knife, carving and bread knife. Damascus knives are available individually and in sets including the striking 3-piece knife set presented in a stylish gift box.

Each knife handle is constructed from G10, a material formed by layering fibreglass cloth soaked in epoxy resin, which is then compressed and baked resulting in outstanding strength.

Individual knives start from £39, sets from £179 and all come with a 25 year guarantee.

The ProCook brand has been well established for more than 18 years and excels in well-designed value for money cookware and accessories.

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Healthy Cookware: Your 2015 guide to healthier cooking

With the start of a new year comes the aspiration to lead a healthier lifestyle. More exercise and a cleaner diet are always great resolutions to make. But when it comes to improving your diet, where do you start?

Along with choosing the right ingredients it is important to have the right cookware for making sure you get the maximum health benefits from your meals.

Here is a list of our favourite healthy cookware to get you started!

1.     Reversible Griddle

Griddles are great for preparing lighter healthier meals in very little time. From red meat and poultry to vegetables and eggs you can prepare a high majority of foods with minimal fuss and maximum gain.

Cooking meat on a griddle is a great way to reduce fat content. It requires little to no oil and as the meat cooks any excess fat will drain way.

The reversible griddle can be used indoors and outdoors on the Barbeque making it a great piece of cookware all year round.

Quick tip: Always use your griddle on a high heat to prevent sticking.

2.     Steamer

The main benefit of steaming food is that it will retain the maximum amount of nutrients.

Steaming your vegetables will mean they will maintain their taste, colour and overall structure, require no oil and contain a high level of vitamins and minerals.

This wonderful piece of cookware is also great for cooking fruits, grains and legumes and will mean you can prepare food on several levels at the same time, saving energy.

3.     Wok

Wok cooking, also called stir-frying, can be a healthy way to prepare meals. However this is only the case if you do not use a lot of oil or high fat and high salt ingredients.

If you take the above points in to consideration its benefits consist of limiting fat content and minimising nutrient losses. Using this versatile piece of cookware will require you to use a little bit of oil to prevent sticking but due to cooking on a high heat, stir-frying vegetables will minimise the loss of vitamins and minerals compared to boiling, microwaving and roasting.

4.     Stockpot

Stock is an ingredient that we use time and time again in a wide range of recipes and this great piece of cookware will mean you can create your own from scratch. This will 100% result in healthier tastier meals. Stock is not as laborious as many people think, once it has been set up it will quite simply take care of itself.

Homemade stock is healthier due to lower salt content, more natural ingredients and will also save you money and reduce waste.

5.     Cat Iron casserole

Although in this article we have explained that quicker cooking times mean food retains its nutrients better, slow cooking is also a great way to prepare meals low in calories and with little effort.

By preparing meals in cast iron cookware such as a heavy casserole dish you will almost always include vegetables, stock (preferably homemade) and meat that requires tenderising  - meaning lower fat content.

You can always serve with additional vegetables at the end for a nutrients boost.

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