For foodie friends and family, nothing beats some new cooking equipment as a holiday gift. Personally, I’m hoping Santa will bring me a stand mixer (I’ve been very good this year!). You don’t have to be a big spender to get quality products, though, especially if you know where to look. Here are some of my favorite places to get inexpensive cooking gear:

*Much like Groupon or other daily deal sites, SnappyTuna sends members daily emails with exclusive deals—however, they focus especially on terrific items for the kitchen. The items they sell can be a bit expensive, but if you’re looking for something special, here is the place to look. You can sign up through Facebook or get an invitation from a friend.

* Sur La Table’s website has a fantastic $25 and under gift section. They’ve got creative gift ideas that are sure to make an impression. Something like this sock monkey wine sleeve is a fun gift for a friend—even if there’s only a bottle of Two-Buck Chuck underneath.

* Williams-Sonoma is selling all cookware for 20% off until Sunday, December 12th, so now is the time to buy that Le Creuset pan. Just enter the code WSCOOK20 at checkout to save.

* Every day, Amazon.com offers up “Lighting Deals”, or special, limited-time prices on all sorts of goods including some nice kitchen wares. Not everything is on sale but check back daily to see if they have the item you need for your gift list.

* If you’re hoping for a stand-mixer too, you could always try your chance at luck. We’re offering a Hamilton Beach Eclectrics stand mixer as one of the prizes in the ALL YOU December Sweepstakes. Enter for your chance to win on ALLYOU.com

Posted by Cecily McAndrews, Assistant Food Editor