For many years I messed around with cheap barbecues and even used those horrendous disposable ones. However, last summer I decided to get a new one and spent a while researching the market. I decided to go for a more traditional charcoal barbecue as it is just more fun starting a fire rather than pushing a button, and I believe you get a better barbecue flavour. I decided not to
go for the top of the range Weber BBQ as I felt it was a bit too expensive. I ended up buying the Weber One Touch Charcoal Kettle Black 57cm which I have been really pleased with. The thing that was new was the indirect cooking method where you stack the coals to the side and cook the food with the lid on. It really opens up some new barbecue opportunities and there are some great accessories to help you. The next accessory on my shopping list is the pizza stone.
I bought one of these for my wife for her last birthday and she was absolutely delighted. I gained loads of brownie points. The build quality is absolutely amazing - I don't think there is any plastic in it at all. This is most unusal in this day and age and it is reflected in the price - unfortuantely. These Kitchenaid mixers may be a lot more expensive than other mixers from the likes of Kenwood, but they look stunning in the kichen and really cut down the time it takes to prepare food (according to my wife). This is due to its unique planetary mixing motion which makes it really efficient at mixing and is why celebrity chefs such as Nigella Lawson use it. Perhaps this was the subconscious reason why I bought it as a gift for my wife. Finally, like any good piece of kit there is an endless supply ot attachements that you can buy including juicers, mincers, can openers and pasta makers. See if you can get a cheap one on ebay.