Well, that is not always true. Do not buy your mom "As Seen On TV" stuff for her B-day. I have gotten my mum a few really nice knives for various presents and she loves them because my dad is cheap and buys crappy knives all the time.
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I've always found a safe gift is the thing the person wants but won't buy for themselves.
Like the above example of the knives; the person wants a good knife but can only justify (to themselves) buying a cheap knife. Get them a good knife and they will appreciate it.
BTW - be very careful when trying to buy someone something for their hobby. If they want it they will usually get it and the looking and researching is half the fun. Or they may not want what you end up getting them for some reason (ie. you give a music fanatic a new Nickelback CD. If you knew they were a Nickelback fan and didn't have it, good gift. If they are a Radiohead fan then probably a bad choice)
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I have the same thing as the Slap Chop, but different brand (Pampered Chef). I was hesitant to say the least, but its awesome. Way faster than chopping things up, easy to clean and overall I think worth while.