10 of Our Favorite Gift Ideas for Christmas 2019
At Fifth & Cherry®, we’re passionate about gifts that are made to a higher standard. In a world filled with disposable goods, we get excited when we see companies commit to making products that are built to last, that embrace the spirit of craftsmanship, and that have an individual history or a tangible human element in their design and function.
In the course of running our business, we’ve learned that many, many other people feel the same way, and we love helping people find products that have these characteristics. Here is a list with some of our favorite gifts that share the Fifth & Cherry® spirit of quality, attention to detail, and a sense of meaning.
Kamado Joe makes fully ceramic grills that provide arguably the best outdoor cooking experience available. Unparalleled heat retention and temperature control combined with flawless craftsmanship and reliability put Kamado Joe grills in a class by themselves.
Do you value knowing exactly who made the things you use? Chelsea Miller makes each of her knives by hand in her Vermont workshop. Each one is a unique work of art created for feel, aesthetics, and performance. A great gift for people who appreciate handcrafted items with a palpable sense of individual history.
Simply some of the best spice rubs money can buy. Created by Matt Pittman who was on the hit TV show BBQ Pitmasters, these spices make you take a step back and say, Holy Cow! The recipes have been refined over time by a true pitmaster who has dedicated his life to making food taste impossibly good. Meat Church spices are the secret weapon of the cook who wants to make grilled meat taste so good it’s confusing.
The Searzall takes the standard blowtorch — a staple of high-end kitchens — and makes it easier to use and more versatile, while also eliminating the off-taste that blowtorch-finished food is notorious for when not done perfectly. The Searzall truly democratizes the kitchen blowtorch. In fact, it makes it so easy and fun to use that you’ll probably want to torch everything you make.
Blanc Creatives Carbon Steel Pans
At Fifth & Cherry®, we love durable goods that are guaranteed for life. But that’s only one of the reasons to love Blanc Creatives carbon steel pans. These handcrafted pans give you all of the advantages of cast iron in a lighter, more ergonomic, easier to handle form. Simple, beautiful, and made for a lifetime of performance.
Speaking of gifts made to last forever, that’s the whole reason we started Fifth & Cherry®. With steel reinforcement, American cherry end grain construction, and free refinishing for life, these cutting boards are made to deliver higher performance, protect your knives, and be a staple of your kitchen forever.
Beefer broilers use ultra-high heat (1,500+ degrees Fahrenheit) to achieve a finished product that is impossible with conventional grills. The ceramic high-performance burners mounted in the top of the Beefer create a uniquely caramelized outer surface while keeping the inside of the meat juicy and succulent. And because of the ultra-high temperature, food is done in a flash.
This is the only mass-produced plastic product on the list. So why did we include it? We love the simplicity and functionality of the design — in fact, it’s Tim’s favorite way to make coffee, and he uses it every day. Also, despite its unassuming appearance, it’s built to last for a long, long time. The AeroPress’ secret is that it uses high pressure to make a rich, bold cup of coffee with markedly less acidity than drip coffee — sort of a cross between drip coffee and espresso. And because it’s fully hand-operated, it’s just as suited for traveling or camping as it is for home use.
As Craig Proper says on his homepage, “Every Craig Proper ceramic piece is designed and handcrafted (yes, that means by a real human) one at a time because I believe there's a certain character and warmth when items are made this way.” We couldn’t agree more.
One Eared Cow makes beautiful custom, made to order glassware for both functional and decorative uses. They also provide hands-on instruction and allow the public to come in and watch their artists at work and ask questions about their craft, which is just as cool. We love to support artisans who are working to pass their craft on to the next generation and grow public awareness of the importance of handmade goods.