Gourmet Christmas gift guide

Kitchenaid KSM150 stand mixer

FOR AID IN THE KITCHEN

What more can we say about this kitchen design touchstone? Its good looks are matched entirely by its utility. Extra points if you can lay hands on the elusive copper bowl. Kitchenaid KSM150 stand mixer, $795, 1800 990 990

Eight-piece Joseph Joseph nested bowl set

FOR STYLE AND SMARTS

UK design duo Joseph Joseph has come up with this neat set of measuring cups, sieve, colander and mixing bowls that takes up minimal space in the cupboard. GT stylist Vanessa Austin wants one under her tree this year. “I don’t have much storage space in my kitchen and this set has everything I need packed up nicely.” Eight-piece Joseph Joseph nested bowl set, $112.50, www.top3.com.au

Tribute to Andy Warhol by Dom Pérignon

TO TOAST AN EXCEPTIONAL PAIR

There’s no better way to put some Pop in your cork than with the 2002 vintage of Dom Pérignon in three limited-edition bottle designs by the Design Laboratory at London’s Central Saint Martins school. Tribute to Andy Warhol by Dom Pérignon, $295, David Jones

Aeropress single-cup coffee-maker and Porlex hand-mill coffee grinder

FOR THE DAILY GRIND

“All the clarity of flavour you get from pour-over filter or siphon coffee with the body of a plunger brew,” is coffee mistress Fleur Studd’s take on the Aeropress’s strengths. It’s also deeply portable; throw a Porlex hand-mill grinder with ceramic burrs into the mix and you’ve got peerless coffee to go anywhere you do. Aeropress single-cup coffee-maker, $50; Porlex hand-mill coffee grinder, $65, www.marketlane.com.au

Kobo Aizawa cutlery

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

This is tableware to be reckoned with. Beautifully matt, made from resin-covered stainless steel, this Japanese cutlery is available in black, white or red. Kobo Aizawa cutlery, $650 for six place-settings and a serving set, www.cibi.com.au

Cuisinart stainless-steel ice-cream maker with compressor

TO CHILL OUT WITH

“It’s compact, quiet and robust,” says food director Emma Knowles, whose ice-cream-making needs exceed most people’s, of her machine of choice. It’s fully automatic and makes 1.5 litres in a batch, with no pre-freezing required. Cuisinart stainless-steel ice-cream maker with compressor, $549

FoxL V2 portable speaker

FOR SOME SOUND ADVICE

“Lots of hotels have iPod docks and the like these days,” says GT features editor Pat Nourse, “but most of them still don’t; if you’re serious about taking your music on the road, these robust speakers have the utility and the richness and fidelity of sound missing from every other competitor of comparable size and price. They’re pretty handy around the house, too.” FoxL V2 portable speaker, from $199.

Lucy Folk taco cufflinks

FOR THE LOVER OF MEXICAN FOOD AS FASHION

Being handmade, no two are the same. Just keep them out of the guacamole. Sterling silver taco cufflinks by Melbourne jeweller Lucy Folk, $350.

Bison’s pots

FOR A HERBACEOUS FRIEND

Handmade in Bison’s Canberra studio, these pretty pots with built-in saucers spell instant kitchen garden – backyard or no backyard. Herb pots, $29.50 each, Bison Australia.

Bols Genever

FOR THE COCKTAIL FIEND

“It’s the real stuff, they’ve brought it back,” said cocktail historian David Wondrich when he visited Australia earlier this year. “It’s a little expensive, but boy is it good. You make a bowl of punch based on a bottle of that with just some lemon juice, lemon peel, sugar, a big block of ice and maybe a litre and a half of chilled soda water and you’ve got something delightful.” Whether you’re a cocktail nerd looking for the proper stuff to revive the classics or just a gin lover looking for something fresh, this is the bottle for you. Bols Genever, $50, Dan Murphy’s.