SANTA'S BAG OVERFLOWS WITH GADGETS : FOR QUICK HITS AND STOCKING STUFFERS.

Byline: Marilynn Marter Knight-Ridder Tribune News Wire

Looking for kitchen gifts for the cooks and food lovers on your Christmas list?

A check at kitchenware stores shows items high on holiday gift lists are those related to bagels and bread, garlic, tea, coffee and martinis.

Bagel cutters became a hot item when we became tired of slicing a lot of fingers as well as bagels.

Now, there's the guillotine-style Bagel Biter ($35) at the top of the line, followed by other holder-type versions (you need your own knife), among them a plastic case ($2.50) and an open Lucite model ($6).

Add to that the bagel canister ($15), with a lid that ``breathes'' for proper storage, and the Romertopf clay bagel baker ($20).

One item that will serve both serious cooks and novices well is the Polder cooking thermometer/timer ($35). In addition to timing functions, its probe gives instant digital readings - with an alarm alert that can be preset - for temperatures from 32 to 392 degrees F. That means just one thermometer for both meats and candy or anything you cook. And it's easy to use and read.

Just when peeling garlic became such a chore that it requires a separate kitchen gadget to strip the papery skin from the clove is a mystery. But the cannoli-like tubular rubber garlic peelers ($10) are out there this year. And they do work.

Also, on the order of those ubiquitous rubber lid-looseners, there's a roll-your-own flat rubber version, the Garlic Stripper ($5).

And, for hands that want never to touch the garlic, there's the Easy-Turn Garlic Grater ($10).

Garlic is so in, you can even spread roasted-garlic jam on those bagels.

Latecomers to the ranks of bread-baking addicts will find bread-making machines have come down in price. Several high-quality bread-makers, such as Breadman, Regal and Oster now sell in the $100 to $150 range. The top-of-the-line models - which make larger and multiple loaves - are still closer to $300.

For the bread itself, there's the Vesture breadbasket with microwave-heated hot pack ($25).

Possibly the newest tea item is the High Tea tea column, a Swiss creation distributed by the Company of a Philadelphia Gentleman. Gift boxes of 12 aluminum infusers ($15) are in some gourmet shops. Each infuser holds enough Ceylon black tea to brew two to three cups.

Both tea and coffee now come in infinite variety and holiday packs such as the Green Tea Collection ($17) and the Twelve Coffees of Christmas ($17).

For storing the teas, there are colorfully festive tea tins ($4) and elegant Indian silver canisters ($17).

The new Capresso Coffee Team Grinder/Brewer ($229) combines several coffee-making gadgets and appliances. Simply set the timer, load the beans, fill the water tank and the machine will professionally grind beans to order into a filter that then flips into position for producing the perfect brew.

And for those of us who never mastered the technique of steam-frothing milk for cappuccino, there is a new manual model on the order of the classic French press espresso maker. Bon Jour's Caffe Froth comes in gold ($25) or chrome ($20) finish.

To go with all that tea and coffee, take a heart-healthy turn at making doughnuts with a nonstick, mini-doughnut baking pan ($20) from Chicago Metallic.

And who could forget the surprise trend of '96 - the martini.

A cocktail shaker may be the perfect item for drinkers on your gift list. There are a number of choices, from a clear Lucite shaker ($9) to a monogrammed stainless-steel model ($50).

Trendy glasses for those martinis - in case you don't happen to have some packed away from the '50s - will run from $3 to $12 each.

Also in the bar area, consider Vacu-Vin sets with wine pump and stoppers ($12.50) for preserving leftover wine in opened bottles.

Cheese/angel food knives ($7 to $15) solve problems of sticking, tearing and deflating. Huge holes in these blades let both troublesome foods fall neatly away from the knife.

To go with it, there are charming cheese pins for steadying the wedge ($4).

Holiday cookie cutters, molds and stamps from simple tin ($3) to fancy stoneware collectibles ($20).

A drip-resistant, gold-finish honey spoon that perches neatly on the rim of the jar ($4).

The Springy Thingy ($4) reverses an old whisk design to serve the dual functions of beater and egg separator.

The Wine Writer ($5) lets you personalize gift messages on wine labels or other gifts in gold.

And for the sybarite who really has everything, consider the Grape Peeler (two for $2). It's a sturdy little item that might serve other purposes, such as cutting the sour centers from kumquats.

Prices are based on suggested retail amounts, with most rounded to the nearest dollar. Some items may be priced lower at some stores. Items may be found at major kitchenware stores, among them Lechter's and Williams-Sonoma, as well as at some department and discount stores.

CAPTION(S):

Photo

Photo: (color) A trio of stocking stuffers for the cooks includes the Springy Thingy ($4), left, which is both an egg beater and an egg separator; the Grape Peeler (two for $2); and the Polder Cooking Thermometer/Timer ($35).

Vicki Valerio/Philadelphia Inquirer