Our annual Gift Guide was meant to be a Baked tradition, but we skipped 2013 (I am not sure why…or where I was…or what I was doing) so….we are simply making the 2014 edition, bigger and better. Our elves (Baked’s team leaders) are back with some favorite things for the bakers/eaters/foodies in your life. Grab your list. Check it twice. Here we go:

Mariseli is really digging the Clack. In her own words: “I love inviting friends/family over for dinner/breakfast/brunch so this is an ingenious tool for presenting a perfectly cracked soft boiled or hard boiled egg without having your guests struggle with egg shell pieces!”

Perhaps in celebration of Baked Tribeca’s toast offerings, Renato opted to choose a rapid toaster. Because in his worldview “Who doesn’t want toast twice as fast?” Yes, there is such a thing as a rapid toaster. Who knew?

Molly chose one of the most beloved kitchen tools of hard core bakers, the basic kitchen scale. Per Molly: “Any chef (personal or professional, savoy or sweet) will tell you that having a scale is an absolute necessity. Break away from those 1-cup-of-sugar recipes and just go for it. 198 grams. Boom! It’ll be the best $25 you’ll ever spend and I can guarantee that you’ll never look back. I especially like the green one. What can i say? I’m Irish.”

Ryan, our lead barista, went all coffee nerd on us. His choice: the Aeropress. His reasoning: “An Aeropress is the perfect gift for anyone that likes a great cup of coffee. Once you’ve boiled your water you are only 3 minutes away from a truly delicious cup of coffee. Also the size makes it super portable so it’s perfect for the traveller or outdoorsman in your family. Now you can have a great cup of coffee anywhere. I like it so much I made it available at Baked this season, but you can also pick one up somewhere else…. if you must.”

Katie went with one of my fave tools in the kitchen, an immersion blender. Per Katie: “One of the best gifts for anyone who loves to spend time in the kitchen, is an immersion blender – especially during the holiday season. This tool will get a work out helping you make soups, mashed potatoes and other dishes for your loved ones. It’s also wonderful to make healthy smoothies for either breakfast or lunch. I’m always looking for an excuse to use this gadget in my own kitchen.”

Anna, she of the savory sandwich, chose this very pretty butter warmer because: “I received this sweet little enamel pot last year, and I use it constantly. Great not just for melting butter, but for heating up soup for your lunch or milk for hot chocolate. Pretty and very useful too!”

And don’t forget a workhorse knife. Ginger says: “My favorite tool in the baker’s kitchen is an offset serrated knife. I received one as a farewell gift from Pastry Chef Karen DeMasco after working in my first NYC kitchen. She told me it was the only knife I would ever need. The brilliance is in it’s versatility — from delicately slicing cake layers, to chopping chocolate and nuts, to getting into the deep edges of a brownie pan — it does it all. In my opinion, the cheaper the knife the better! (Does anyone really sharpen a serrated knife anyway?) But if you want to be fancy, spring for the Wusthof. I still cherish the one Karen bought me years ago.”

Jordan, chose this very manly man apron: “Looking good in the kitchen is tough when you get down and dirty. This apron makes everyone look their best- comes in all sizes and suitable for any occasion (baking, barista-ing, yard work or even just lounging).”

And lastly, Veronika would like to suggest a tool she could not live without, the revolving cake stand (or turntable). Take it away Veronika: “It makes icing cake so easy. This durable turntable will last the test of time. I use it for all my cakes, tarts and pies. I wouldn’t be able to make the perfect “Baked” swirl without it. Now everyone can make their cakes look like the ones from the Baked books.”

Me, well, I would undoubtedly recommend our newest book. Speaking of which, I will post about our favorite baking books shortly. In the meantime, have a merry holiday and eat a lot of cookies.