Kate Krader (@kkrader on Twitter) is Food & Wine's restaurant editor. When she tells us where to find our culinary heart's desire, we listen up.It looks like gift card sales will hit an all-time high this holiday season. E-gifting is expected to top $118 billion this year with the most popular cards being from: 1. department stores; 2. restaurants; 3. coffee shops; and 4. gas station cards.Still, maybe you’re one of those people who hates impersonal gift cards, who has to deliver a present with “personality.” For all of you, I’ve asked my excellent Food & Wine colleague Daniel Gritzer to troubleshoot some of the more questionable food gifts out there.Happy holidays, everyone! Now here’s Daniel, who says:"There are many great gift options for the food-obsessed; there are also some real doozies. Do everyone - me, your friends, family, yourself - a favor, and consider not buying any of the below for the holidays."Nibble Cake Test Baking PanAt first glance, this cake pan is cute (and pricey, at $22!). Adjacent to the main cake-batter compartment is a smaller one for baking a teensy tiny test cake, so you can make sure your dessert tastes good without cutting into the real one. Here’s the problem: If you’re baking them both at the same time, it’s too late to fix the batter for the larger cake anyway.Whiskey RocksOn the surface these ice-cold soapstone rocks seem like a great idea—chill your whiskey without watering it down. Plus, you get to look like Fred Flintstone, walking around with gray rocks in your glass. But most whiskey experts will tell you that you actually need a little water to really open up a good whiskey and make it taste best. Instead, opt for a big ice cube that will melt slowly while chilling the booze.Power Bacon DeodorantI don’t even know where to start with this, so I’ll let the website do the talking: “Do not eat or hike in the woods without a firearm while wearing Power Bacon.” I’m just not sure if they’re referring to wild animals or to people who might take action after spending too much time near someone who constantly reeks of fake bacon. The Beer BuckleAs the name partially suggests, this is a big fat antique-style “bevbuckle” that lets you “hold your bottle or can hands free with Style!” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been at a party and thought, What would really be cool is if I could attach this beer to my belt buckle right now. Actually I can tell you how many times I’ve thought that: Never.Egg Minder Smart Tray
In my life of cooking eggs, including years in professional kitchens, I’ve never cracked open a rotten one. After polling several of my F&W colleagues, all of whom cook a lot, I can confirm that it’s exceedingly rare. So why in the world is it worth $70, plus the cost of batteries, to electronically monitor whether your eggs at home are rotten?Monsieur Robotic BartenderMixing most cocktails isn’t that hard—with a recipe in hand, it’s usually just a matter of combining a few different liquids together. This device, an artificially intelligent robotic bartender, does it for you via a touchscreen, for the low, low price of $3,999.Doughnut PanIf this item were called an “Individual Ring-Shaped Cake Pan,” I’d have no problem with it. But a proper doughnut should be deep-fried, not baked. Especially during the holidays, when cutting loose is practically a requirement. No one should be gifting baked doughnuts for the holidays.(CNN)ANN.Az