The kitchen is the most attractive place in the home. Not only attractive due to its design or looks - but attractive to people. Guests or family tend to congregate in kitchens, and there is a great reason for that. it is the place where love and care are made in the form of food. Smells and flavours are born in a kitchen. friendships blossom and families come together. That is why buying a gift for someone to use in their kitchen is so challenging. It can make a real difference to their lives - and the lives of those that they care for.

So what are the best kitchen gifts one could select?

The first must of course be cookware. Pots and pans may seem boring, but they can actually make a huge difference to the lives of those who use the kitchen. Stainless steel pans are great - and always welcome - but to really make a difference to the cooking experience cast iron is the way to go. A cast iron pan will be a kitchen staple for decades if cared for correctly.

Those cast iron pans can make a real difference when it comes to the cooking experience - but what about the little things? The little things such as knives, forks and that all important spatula are great gifts. A good knife is possibly one of the most valued items in any home. It will last for years - and even at lower price points there are incredible bargains to be had. Spend a little more and you can give a gift that will last for generations.

But those everyday use knives and forks are also important. They may seem to be strictly utilitarian, bur they add to the alure of any meal. Pull open a drawer where those are stored and you almost immediately be able to learn an enormous amount about the person who is using that kitchen - and about how highly they value their guests. A great set of stainless steel knives and forks (forget silver - that's special occasion stuff) is a gift that will keep on giving.

Then there are appliances. A great food mixer is part and parcel of any kitchen. At the top end of the scale are those which simply cost a fortune. But they are worth every penny. The applications are almost endless. But there are other appliances which can cost a lot less but are always welcome as gifts. The simple hand held mixer has a multitude of uses. A value for money juicer / mixer will never be something that any owner of a household kitchen will not find useful.

It all boils down (excuse the cooking pun) to the household wants and needs. That enormous, space invading slow cooker with its electronic settings may not be essential, but that non stick pasta spoon might be just what is required. Giving kitchen gifts is not all about the cost of the gift - it is about the joy of the kitchen and understanding its function in a specific household.

Thinking about that provides the inspiration for the perfect kitchen gift.