Kitchen appliances are a risky present because they imply an opinion about how someone lives. Give the wrong blender and it sits in a box until the guilt wears off. Give the right one and it is used every week for years, which makes it one of the better presents available at the price.

Ask what they cook, not what they want

People rarely ask for a blender, so you are guessing. The useful question is what they eat: a household of smoothie drinkers and a household of soup makers need different machines. If you cannot find out without spoiling the surprise, ask whoever shares their kitchen.

Measure their worktop, or buy small

The most common gift failure is size. A large jug blender in a small rented kitchen becomes an object to be stored rather than used, and nobody tells the giver. When in doubt, choose the smaller format; a personal blender the size of a kettle is far more likely to stay out and get used.

Choose something with parts available

A gift that cannot be repaired is a gift with an expiry date, and lost lids and cracked cups are ordinary events. Look for a range where cups, lids, gaskets and blade assemblies are sold separately. The personal and immersion ranges with their component lists are set out at https://koios.us.com/, which is a quick way to check.

Presents that usually disappoint

• Juicers, unless the recipient has explicitly asked for one.
• Anything requiring a dedicated cupboard they do not have.
• A second blender for someone who already owns one.
• Novelty attachments for a machine you have not seen.
• Very large capacity machines for a single person.

The stick blender is the safe bet

An immersion blender with a beaker and a whisk suits almost every kitchen, fits in a drawer and threatens nobody’s worktop. It handles soup, sauces and cream, and it costs less than most jug machines. If you genuinely do not know what they need, this is the present that is hardest to get wrong.

Include the boring bits

A second cup, a spare gasket and a bottle brush cost very little and make the gift feel considered rather than generic. Keep the receipt and say so plainly when you hand it over. Nobody is offended by being told they can exchange it.

Say the safety thing once

If you are giving a personal blender with a sealed travel cup, mention that hot liquid must never go in it, because the person opening the box will not read the manual. Steam pressure in a screwed-down cup is a real and unpleasant accident. One sentence at the time of giving is worth more than a leaflet in the box.