If your holiday gift list includes a young cook, an aspiring chef or an adult who has started whipping up great grub in the kitchen, we’ve got some stocking stuffer suggestions for you. We talked to local food experts who assured us that it doesn’t take much money (less than $20) to find a small holiday gift that will inspire a new cook.

Molly Ziegler, culinary instructor at Bend High School’s award-winning culinary program, and graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America, suggested a good whisk, a pair of tongs and a gadget that cuts herbs, along with other tools. One of Ziegler’s students, Elizabeth Rainwater, would love to have a set of knives and a bench scraper.

We checked in with Jaime Aguirre, co-owner of Ginger’s Kitchenware in Bend, who always knows what’s new and what’s useful.

He recommended a folding cutting board and a ceramic peeler, along with some classic tools that any novice cook would love.

Lauren Johnson, whose title is “head cheerleader” at the Newport Avenue Market (having taken that title from her father, Rudy Dory), suggested a few of the fun and utilitarian kitchen tools that are available in her family’s grocery store wonderland.

Finally, chef Thor Erickson, instructor at the Cascade Culinary Institute, who won the 2013 “Cooking Teacher of the Year” from the International Association of Culinary Professionals, told us about the inexpensive kitchen tools he finds at restaurant supply stores. Erickson had other great ideas for sparking the interest and creativity in chefs — and great home-cooks-to-be.

Molly Ziegler

Bend High School culinary instructor

Under $20:

•  Egg saute pan: “A mini-saute pan, meant for cooking one egg is great for kids or younger adults. The pans are easy to hold, lightweight, and not overwhelming or intimidating in size,” Ziegler said.

•  Spatula and rubber scraper: “Get a sturdy one that a kid could call their own. They’re heatproof, and come in tons of different colors and designs.”

•  Tongs and a fish spatula: “In culinary school, these were absolutely imperative for my success. I have small hands, so I got a really nice, small pair of tongs. I prefer stainless steel, but the silicon-tipped ones look really cool. Get sturdy tongs that can flip big steaks, or you can use them for something delicate like scallops. I like the ones that close up with a locking top; they’re easier to store. The fish spatula has openings, and is slightly curved. It’s delicate, and won’t break fish when you turn it,” Ziegler said.

•  Herb scissors: “This is the one brand new favorite kitchen tool that I can’t believe I’ve lived without! Herb scissors are like kitchen shears, but instead of one blade, they have four or five. Instead of cutting a few sprigs of parsley in the garden, you cut in multiple spots, and you don’t overchop or bruise your herbs. My aunt gave them to me and I’m in love with them,” Ziegler said. Ziegler also said that spice blends, exotic salts, fresh cinnamon sticks, star anise or colored peppercorns would be fun gifts.

Over $20:

•  Chef’s coat or apron: “I remember my apron when I was a little girl, and thinking, ‘It’s my apron, it’s pink with flowers on it, and it’s mine!’ A chef’s coat for a child would be fun, too,” she said.

•  Burr mixer: A burr mixer is like a small immersion blender. “They come in different sizes. It looks like a big stick with a little blade on the bottom. When I asked my culinary students what they would like to have, this was an overwhelming winner. You can use it for making smoothies, frothing milk, or it’s an excellent way to puree soups right in the pot,” Ziegler said.

Elizabeth Rainwater

Bend High School senior

•  Bench scraper: “I like bench scrapers to help lift a pie crust; they’re better than a metal spatula, and a scraper helps when you’re cutting garlic and onions — you can just scoop them up,” Rainwater said.

•  Small knife, or set of knives: “I’d love a set of knives and a perfect small knife. I have small hands, like Ms. Ziegler, so we fight over the few small ones in cooking class at school. They have a smaller handle and a smaller blade.”

•  Measuring cups and spoons, preferably stainless steel: “It’s good to have multiple sets. If I just used the one-cup, I don’t have to clean it, just use another one.”

Jaime Aguirre

Co-owner, Ginger’s Kitchenware, 375 S.W. Powerhouse Drive, 541-617-0312, www.gingerskitchenware.com

•  Joseph Joseph Chop 2 Pot Plus cutting board: “Joseph Joseph is innovative, changing some basic kitchen gadgets and tools to be more modern and functional. This is a folding cutting board. It lays flat on the counter, and when you’re done chopping, you grab the handle, and the board hinges up on the sides, creating a funnel, and allowing you to pour. It makes chopping and transferring food much more efficient and clean.

•  Ceramic peeler by Kyocera: “Ceramic peelers stay sharper because ceramic is roughly 15 times more durable than steel. These peelers can easily peel a tomato, a peach, nectarine or plum without bruising them,” he said.

•  Kuhn Rikon paring knife: “A favorite for kids or young adults, these knives are generally under 4 inches in length, made of carbon steel and come in different colors. The plastic handles are great for smaller hands. With the fun colors, they’re easy to identify: You can say to a child or teen, ‘This is your knife, you’re in charge of washing and caring for it.’ It develops proper care and knife safety for kids.”

•  Microplane: “They come with different-sized openings. I’d start with the fine one because it does such a beautiful job, grating cheese or chocolate or lemon zest. These are great for enhancing flavor, and inspiring the creativity of a budding chef,” he said.

•  Orange juicer: “This is not a very sexy product, but it’s very versatile. A little orange juicer or press has the upper and lower part like pliers. You cut the citrus fruit in half and squeeze. A small one is great for limes and lemons or a medium orange. Go larger for bigger fruit. It’s quick — press down and the juice drips right in your bowl.”

Lauren Johnson, “Head Cheerleader”

Newport Avenue Market, 1121 N.W. Newport Ave., Bend, 541-382-3940, www.newportavenuemarket.com

Under $20:

•  Lekue citrus sprayers: “It’s a sprayer that screws into a lemon or lime. You can spray that fresh juice in tea, over food, any time you want to freshen or brighten the flavor. We’ve reordered these sprayers six times,” Johnson said.

•  “The Food Lover’s Companion” paperback: “Everyone should own this. It’s a great go-to source of information, and nice to have handy when cooking,” Johnson said.

•  Microplane: “Versatile grating across the board, from hard chocolates, cheeses, to garlic. It works wonders on all of them. Go with the “Microplane” brand. They’re the original company. That’s important when you’re looking for a quality item.”

•  Paring knife: “A 3- or 3.5- inch paring knife is the most versatile tool in terms of fruits and vegetables — everyday stuff.”

Over $20:

•  6-inch chef knife with diamond stick to keep the edge: “Run your chef’s knife up and down a sharpener once or twice every time you use it to maintain the edge.”

•  Wood cutting board: “They make a great serving piece, as well as being utilitarian. We have two local companies making cutting boards. One company makes Oregon-shaped boards with a star where Bend is.”

•  Cookbook: “Asian flavors are big, global flavors, ancient grains, home cooking.”

Thor Erickson

Chef and instructor at Cascade Culinary Institute at Central Oregon Community College, 1-877-541-CHEF

• Commercial spatula, tongs, whisk: “Browse kitchen stores for basic kitchen tools. I also like Cash & Carry. They have basic restaurant-style cooking equipment that’s really inexpensive. And it’s going to last, it’s industrial. If you want a sugar bowl like the ones at a classic diner, they have that at Cash & Carry, too.”

•  Issues of food magazines: “A great magazine out now is ‘Lucky Peach’ by chef David Chang. Alice Waters is in the latest issue. It’s such a great read. It says how chefs are thinking, and what the trends are, plus some recipes. ‘Saveur’ magazine is about authentic cuisine each issue. A recent article talked about authentic curry, and where to get the ingredients.”

•  Great butcher twine: “Ingredients and gadgets can be found at Newport Market. I’m fussy about my butcher twine and can’t use the garbage kind that people fly kites with! Newport Market has evolved into this place like an old hardware store. You can say, “I have this, I’m trying to fit it to that.’ They love having conversations like that about food. They can get it for you if they don’t have it.”

• Good salt: “Nothing beats a little good salt. For under $10 you can get some great salt.”

• Spices: “Savory Spice Shop in Bend is a good place to go. Matt Perry is an encyclopedia of knowledge when it comes to spices and spice blends. They carry traditional blends and newer things.”

• Cooking classes

— Reporter: ahighberger@mac.com