Christmas Gift Tips from Meesterslijpers
My absolute favorite kitchenware shop? Meesterslijpers on the Kinkerstraat in Amsterdam. One hundred thousand percent (no, that doesn’t exist, but anyway). I simply can’t walk past that shop without popping in for a moment to browse among the thousands of pots, pans, brushes and knives. And I rarely leave the shop empty-handed either. How come? The family that runs the business.
They are the most helpful, honest and enthusiastic people I have ever encountered in a shop. Recently, I was looking for a mandoline. My question: ‘I’m looking for a mandoline, not too cheap, not too expensive, just one with a good price-quality ratio.’ Without hesitation, Johan (not pictured) grabbed the Benriner mandoline (€39,-) and started talking about it as if he were holding gold in his hands. “Better than that one (points to the more expensive one), this one (points to the cheaper one) is fine but less sturdy, but this one (still holding the Benriner as if he were holding Simba) is su-per, lots of chefs use it and it’s simply a top-notch product.”
It should be clear by now: I am the happy owner of a Japanese Benriner mandoline. It also gave me an idea: what are Meesterslijpers’ ultimate Christmas gift tips? René (Johan’s brother) was kind enough to put together a list of gifts for every budget (and of course the mandoline couldn’t be left out). Anyway, enough chit-chat. Here we go:
Gifts under €10,-
“Nothing is more frustrating than tearing apart a delicious meal with a blunt knife. You won’t have that problem with these table knives. We have them with a plastic or wooden handle. A wonderfully razor-sharp little knife, and it’s not the best-selling knife in our entire range for nothing.”
€ 4,50
“A sustainable gift: instead of using all that disposable plastic, these cloths made of organic cotton and beeswax keep your food fresh for longer. And you can use them for up to a year. We have them in different types and sizes; for bread, vegetables and fruit.”
From € 7,-
Gifts under €30,-
“Our most popular product among wine lovers: a handy waiter’s knife in the classic Laguiole design. We can also engrave it for you free of charge, making it even more personal.”
€ 25,00
“Dopper now also makes thermal mugs. So you can stay warm during the cold days. We have them in grey and pink and in two sizes. You can also have this one personalized with your name or a fun image.”
from € 29,50
Gifts under €50,-
“Cheese board for Christmas? You can beautifully serve it on this oak board with eight different cheese knives. Naturally, everything is in the famous Laguiole design. And once again: you can have this one engraved by us too.”
€ 39,95
“Smoking your own meat, fish, vegetables or even oil is not difficult at all. Just press a button. And you can have fun experimenting: cheese, olives, you name it.”
€ 39,95
Japanese Mandoline (yeeees! <3)
“A must-have in the kitchen. All your slices and strips in the perfect thickness. You can determine the thickness yourself, by the way, and it also comes with three blades for three different types of julienne.”
€ 39,95
Gifts under €100,-
“As far as I’m concerned, a good whiskey makes every evening better. Especially when it’s served in a beautiful glass and comes from a beautiful decanter. And yes, guess three times, it’s getting a little boring by now, but you can have this one engraved by us too!”
€ 82,50
“We have the largest range of Japanese and European knives in the entire Benelux, and we also sharpen them the Japanese way. This is a handmade knife by Japanese master bladesmith Masutani San, who has been making knives for 50 years. This knife is made of razor-sharp Japanese steel and is also very affordable.”
€ 85,-
“With this, you can keep track of how much longer your meat needs to cook on your phone. The thermometer communicates with your phone via Bluetooth. In the app, you can see (from up to 5 or 10 meters away) the core temperature of your meat and the ambient temperature of your oven or barbecue.”
5-meter range € 99
10-meter range € 109
Gifts under €200,-
“No kitchen can do without a good immersion blender. This one has a powerful induction motor, making it almost as strong as a large food processor, but much easier to clean and store. So it’s a win-win. The package includes a 180-watt motor and a handy insulated cup, and you also receive a € 10,- gift voucher with your purchase for another fun gift.”
€ 159,-
In the photo from left to right: Berend de Boer (Thomas’s son), (step)father Thomas de Boer, Harmen Lommers (brother-in-law), (step)mother Ellen de Boer, René Djuricek (Ellen’s son). Johan Djuricek (René’s brother and Ellen’s son) is not pictured (‘He’s a little media-shy,’ according to René).
