Of course I do. A 6 quart Nesco roaster!

Annie

I would get a cute gift box of spices from Penzeys. They have quite a few in all price ranges. Good quality spices can make cooking a lot of fun!

Here is a link that might be useful: Penzey's Gift Boxes

a Decent non stick fry pan and a stock pot....bought at an outlet mall!
Or if you could find one of those aldi's cast iron braziers like they had last year for about $35....that would be perfect!

I'll second the Penzey gift. Unless you know what tools/pans she already has and whether she loves them or not, don't go there.

Or Microplane graters are always nice. '-)

Get this, I have it and it's great. The green (my fav) is only 49.97 w/ free shipping.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lodge cast iron pot

A classic cookbook (example: Joy of Cooking or something by Alice Waters) and a microplane grater.

Barnmom, that seems a good idea to me to, but do you think young people use cookbooks anymore? I know I have hundreds that I rarely if ever use anymore. Just curious, not criticizing.

I think the George Foreman grill is a very good idea - or you could get her a panini press, which I think is very similar. Either one would be easy and fun to use and I think it would appeal to someone that age. I would not give spices because those are NOT easy to use and may not be to her taste. The roaster is a good idea also, but I'm less familiar with that. A Kitchenaid stick blender might also be nice.

Lars

I vote for the lodge Dutch oven.....and ac recipe for chili!

All of these are good suggestions, but I think throwing a few vanilla beans in there would be nice as well. They're an item that most people aren't able to splurge on but can make a huge impact on a dish.

A 10" (not 8") Fibrox chefs knife from Victorinox ($28*), and 10" honing steel from the same maker ($28). Prices from Amazon.

You must include a coin (a penny will do) with any gift of a knife, or it is bad luck.**

Yes, she probably has a knife already, but it may not be a chefs, probably not a good one, and very probably isn't 10" long. The Victorinox Fibrox knives are made in Germany or Switzerland (I forget which), are regularly the top pick at Cooks Illustrated, and are among the standard knives used in restaurants. They are slim and light, and in my opinion handle better than a $100 Henckel or Wusthof or similar.

If she uses the steel correctly and regularly, and doesn't hack bones etc***, the knife will only need to be sharpened once or twice a year. So for the next present, a 6000 grit synthetic waterstone ($50-70) . . .

* All prices are Amazon.
** The gift receiver then uses the coin to "pay" for the knife. It's a custom, look it up.
*** Get a $5 thick bladed cleaver in Chinatown for hacking up chicken carcasses etc. That sort of use will break chips from the blade of a chefs knife.

I agree with John about the knife and steel. Also, the non-stick pan and a stock pot are good choices. Check them out at TJ Maxx, Marshall's, or a restaurant supply store - the prices are always better at these three sources.

Teresa

Ditto on the Victorinox knife. (They used to be called Forschner, made by Victorinox. Now I believe they're just called Victorinox. Same Swiss company that makes Swiss Army knives.) I have that knife, and I'd estimate it to be 95% as good as a fancy French chef knife I have, at about 20% of the cost. I also have a Forschner/Victorinox utility knife with a 6" blade--very good. I'm old school and prefer rustable carbon steel knives, but Victorinox makes the best stainless knives I've come across. Victorinox also makes some great little paring knives in the $3 to $6 range. In addition to Amazon, sources include Knives Plus and eTundra; I've ordered from both and have had good results. Sometimes their prices are a little better than Amazon.

Speaking of eTundra, any restaurant supply store will have some no frills gizmos. Last time I was at one I got some color coded 12 x 18 plastic cutting boards (red for meat, yellow for chicken) for a bargain price of around $10 each.

22 years old....I am thinking pizza. A stone, a peel and a cutter plus maybe a couple of good recipes.

Otherwise I think all of the ideas above are good. I use my cookbooks all of the time. Sometimes for a recipe, sometimes just for inspiration! (And sometimes for conversions or substititutions!)

Linda

I think if you go for knives, maybe take her to pick them out as each person is different. It's important to feel the weight of the knives and how they fit in your hand. Maybe that's more important for a set than an individual knife but just a thought..

Honestly I'd probably make a day of it and have him maybe take her to lunch and then shopping at a fun cooking store - maybe Williams Sonoma or Sur La Table. The prices will be inflated compared to Amazon but I think it would be more memorable to spend the afternoon together looking and touching things and ending up with a gift at the end. You'll get the experience plus she'll be able to pick out exactly what she wants. I'm not that much older than she is, and that sounds like an awesome bday present!

My son is a year younger than yours. That age group loves the Forman grill. I think it would be a huge hit. I would add a small wheel of Brie and a box of of puff pastry. My son and I made one for his gf because it Is her favorite.

A Ninja system. Great for smoothies, bar drinks, food processing, etc. You can get one for less than $50.00.

The cast iron pot is pretty and will last for years. Including some recipes on some nice recipe cards would be very nice. Regular Chili, white chili, spaghetti sauce, soups, etc. They also have these at T.J. Maxx from time to time. Might check there before ordering. Great gift.

But that Lodge Enameled Dutch oven is so SEXY!!...I know at 22 I would have been out of my mind over something like that!

But that Lodge Enameled Dutch oven is so SEXY!!...I know at 22 I would have been out of my mind over something like that!

22 and a girlFRIEND? Take her out for a night on the town...

ML

Gift card to a cooking store, lunch out and the shopping trip. Fun, and she can shoose what she really wants/needs.

Deanna

For fifty bucks?

I have two recently launched children, both have an interest in cooking. Daniel was pleased with the Betty Crocker Cooking Basics cookbook. I gave his ex girlfriend the Cooking Light Complete Cookbook. Both cover cooking techniques, ingredients, pantry basics, and have loads of photos.

Alice came home recently and expressed a desire for a cast iron skillet. I gave her mine. It was given to me by my grandmother when I was the same age. She also asked for the waffle iron.

I bought Danny a selection of herbs and spices. On each one I taped a list of recipes and foods for which each ingredient works well. He wanted a nice pepper mill and pepper corns, too.

I know that Danny as well as Alice and her roommates love having good coffee and grind their own. And they use their crock pot a lot. One of them proudly showed me her very nice mandolin.

Alice has always been a baker. Danny likes stove top cooking. It might be useful to know what she likes to eat. The Cooking Light Complete Cookbook was a good choice for Danny's ex GF as she is not a red meat eater and can't eat dairy. There were lots of options for her in the cookbook.

This is also an age group that grew up with cooking shows so maybe she is a Rachel Ray or other celeb chef fan. That might help in selecting a gift, too.

A lovely, sexy nightie, a piece of jewelry, dinner out..........teach him early!

If he is determined to make it cooking related then the grill works but I'd do something a little more unusual like the Penzey spices, microplane grater or a good meat thermometer. Something she really would not get herself.

Actually I just thought about this and my 25 year old would look at me strangely if I bought her a grater or thermometer...the spices she would like.

Go with a small appliance like the grill or a juicer or a mini food processor.

If she won't be upset by an unromantic gift, I vote for a baking scale and a cookbook that uses simple ingredients and includes measurements by weight. If there's money left, a plain aluminum quarter sheet.

I vote for microplane graters. They changed my life.

Chase beat me - jewelry!