Fun gifts for cooking pro

It’s not an easy decision, what to get the cook on your gift list.

If it’s a really special gift, like a KitchenAid stand mixer, your loved one will want to bake all kinds of goodies, and thus share with you.

Like a yuppie desires a Lexus, a gourmet cook covets certain brands of kitchenware. Discount stores sell hundreds of fun gadgets to buy for a cook, but here’s a look at some items that we think will impress your favorite cook and perhaps grant you a few free meals.

Most serious cooks own the ultimate status symbol for the kitchen, the KitchenAid stand mixer, but this year you can buy him or her a new one in scrumptious colors such as tangerine, lemon, crystal blue or cranberry.

Cooks who can’t change the color of their appliances can update their kitchens with brightly colored utensils. KitchenAid makes silicone spatulas, baking pans and mitts in vibrant reds and blues.

Zyliss is another name that shouts quality. The professional tools are ergonomically designed to comfortably fit either left hand or right hand. The countertop food chopper is ideal for mincing an onion, chunking an apple or slicing chocolate. The stainless-steel blade rotates automatically and opens for easy cleaning.

Measuring cups from Zyliss come with a bonus leveler. Other nifty stocking stuffers include the zester, silicone spreader with an extra-long head, and the julienne peeler strips the skin off a carrot in one motion.

Almost anything from the Williams-Sonoma store will please the cook you love, but the item that every cook needs is the 10-piece glass bowl set. Discovered in France by Chuck Williams more than 40 years ago, the tempered-glass bowls nest for convenient storage.

If you’re still uncertain about what to buy, simply take your gourmet cook to the kitchen department. Without hesitation, he or she will let you know.