Cheap Kitchen Gifts

This week, as we all scramble around trying to wrap up holiday shopping while also likely getting called on to cook for company (or at least bring a dish or two while out making the rounds), we at Food Court considered offering a guide to either cheap kitchen gifts or indispensable kitchen tools. Better yet: one guide to both.

Here's my three most-valued (and under $20, often by a lot) kitchen tools, perfect for the stocking of your favorite chef.

Carbide knife sharpener: You can get a fancy, counter-mounted electric sharpener that promises to put an edge on everything from the lowliest paring knife to your scissors and even your lawnmower blade. The edge I get from my pocketable gizmo (mine's an AccuSharp I might have paid $10 for) is all I can ask for. If I come across a dull blade, it's 15 seconds away from being razor-edged-and the tool takes up zero counter space.

Instant-read thermometer: When I worked in a restaurant, the chefs could tell the doneness of any given dish by a number of methods, including pressing a thumb into that sizzling steak to go by feel. They were flawless. You and I are not. These little watch-battery-powered gizmos will pay for themselves the first time you realize that 2-hour roast went past medium rare at 1:40. (I have two because I leave them everywhere-the expensive one was $17.)

Dough scraper: Is there a more exciting gift than a dough scraper? Yes. Actually, just about any gift is. But this pedestrian square of stainless steel with a comfy handle gets near-constant use in my kitchen-most often as a way of painlessly cleaning burnt-on crud off of my glass cooktop (with no scratching). It's also great for cleaning counters when a candle drips-and it's even good for dividing dough.

- Managing Editor Brian Boyd