10 Best Cooking Gift Ideas
Your favorite foodie will love these cooking gift ideas! The only things that made our list are tried and true kitchen essentials that we love and use all the time!
My husband LOVES to cook. (Lucky for me because I sure don’t!) My husband is also a bit tricky to shop for! However, anything kitchen-related is pretty much guaranteed to be a hit, so long as it is something he will actually use. (No gimmicky gadgets!)
Because we’ve tried out so many different kitchen appliance and tools, I thought I would put together a comprehensive list of the ones that get the most use, are the best value, and have lasted the longest.
I spent a lot of time compiling this list of what I’d consider the best cooking gifts. I wanted to keep it easy to read and not overwhelm you, so we limited the list to the top 10. There were quite a few that didn’t make the cut, such as slow cooker. I love a slow cooker, but I think most of us know what a slow cooker is after all.
So if you’re searching for the perfect gift for the person you know who loves to cook or your favorite foodies my advice is to skip those cookbooks, or an apron, an oven mitt! Give the foodie in your life something they will actually use!
10 Best Kitchen Gifts for People Who Love To Cook
For your convenience, I’ve included shop-able ad links to all of the items shown. I’ve only recommended things that we actually use and LOVE! Read our disclosure policy here.
1. Caraway Cookware
Did you know that some types of non-stick cookware can leach toxic particles into your food? Many non-stick pots and pans on the market are made with PFAS, a type of man-made chemical that is used in non-stick coatings. These are called “forever chemicals” because they don’t breakdown and can remain in the environment indefinitely. As you cook and the coating becomes worn, those toxic particles can shed into the food you’re preparing. If your non-stick cookware is damaged or scratched, it’s time to replace it ASAP!
So what type of cookware IS safe?
After I learned about PFAS in a documentary, I have been on the hunt for non-stick cook and bakeware that is safer to use. I recently discovered Caraway Cookware and I am obsessed! Isn’t this dutch oven just beautiful?
Caraway Cookware is different because their products are non-stick AND non-toxic, using a ceramic coating to achieve an effective non-stick cooking surface. No Teflon, no PFAS, no worries!
If you’re wondering whether Caraway products work as well as Teflon-coated products, after testing them out I think that Caraway products actually perform better. The non-stick coating is so slippery that it surprised my husband the first time he used the skillet! The ceramic coating is legit y’all!
We also put the round cake pans to the test by making pineapple upside-down cake. If anything would stick to the bottom of a pan, it would be pineapple upside-down cake and its sticky sweet topping! However, the cakes just popped right out of the pans when we flipped them. Check it out:
Did I mention that Caraway pans are beautiful?? I chose a gorgeous sage green color for my first cookware order. They look so elegant and almost too pretty to use, but they are quite durable! Did I mention that cleanup is a breeze?
In addition to cookware and bakeware, Caraway also has linens, storage solutions, and more available to compliment your growing cookware collection.
If you really want to WOW the foodie friends in your life, Caraway is the way to go! Check out Caraway Cookware sets here (at press time they are $150 off!)
2. Knives
Every chef needs a good set of knives, whether you’re a home cook or a pro!
Over the years we have tried out dozens of different brands of knives at every price point. Would you believe that the most expensive knife purchases are actually NOT the ones I’d recommend? My husband cooks a lot and he has actually broken the blades on numerous knives, simply through daily wear and tear. And let me tell ya, it pains me to see a $200 knife broken beyond repair!
If you’re just starting to stock your kitchen, HENCKELS makes an accessible 15-piece knife set with a knife block. This was on our wedding registry and has gotten daily use for the past 8 years.
If you’re a more serious cook and looking for an upgrade, my husband LOVES the knife set that I got him for his birthday this year. Designed by a chef, DALSTRONG knives offer the quality of more well-known brands, at a more reasonable price. And they are SHARP! In fact, they arrived razor sharp and ready to go right out of the box (no sharpening needed!) You won’t believe how easily one of these knives slices anything from delicate fish to apples!
- Best Starter Knife Set: HENKELS 15-piece knife set with block
- Best Overall Knife Set: DALSTRONG 12-piece Gladiator series knife set with block
3. KitchenAid Stand Mixer
This was the first “big” present I bought for my husband. It was before we were married and I was totally trying to impress him!
I’ll never forget the look on his face when he opened the box and saw the gorgeous fire engine red KitchenAid 6-quart professional mixer staring back at him! He might have even squealed… (sorry honey…it was too cute!!)
This mixer has been in our kitchen for over a decade now and still runs like a champ! One of the best purchases we’ve ever made!
TIP: Buy certified refurbished and you can save a LOT of money! I purchased a refurbished model and it works like a charm, with zero problems in eight years that we’ve had it.
Go here to shop KitchenAid Stand Mixers on Amazon!
4. Vitamix High Powered Blender
All blenders are not created equal!
Yes, there are a lot of blenders that cost less. However, I think we’ve burned up at least 3 other blenders before we got our Vitamix. Even if they’re cheaper, if a blender is not built to last it’s not a good deal.
Growing up, my mom had a Vitamix and we used it to make everything from juices to sorbet to soup. It was amazing!
This was another birthday present I got for my husband — I know it will last us for years and years!
TIP: I also recommend buying a certified refurbished Vitamix (like the Kitchenaid mixers) because you can get a like-new blender at almost half-off!
Use this link to find a Vitamix on Amazon!
5. Rice Cooker
There’s one food that I could eat every single day: rice. So the rice maker in our house gets a TON of use!
While I was in college, I bought this inexpensive Oster rice maker because it was cute and red to match my kitchen and the price was right. It lasted until this year…and we bought another one of the exact same model! I love that it also comes with a steamer.
Follow this link to see our favorite Oster rice maker!
6. Fish Spatula
Who knew you needed a special spatula for cooking fish? I mean, you don’t need it, but a fish spatula will make life so much easier for anyone who loves to cook delicate seafood!
It’s one of my husband’s favorite tools for cooking salmon (click here to see his foolproof method to cook restaurant quality salmon at home).
This extra long slotted spatula is perfect for picking up delicate fish filets, so they make it to your plate without falling apart. We have both a plastic coated and a regular metal fish spatula in our collection.
Check out the top fish spatulas on Amazon!
7. Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
According to the Instant Pot website, the Instant Pot can reduce cooking time by up to 70% — which is pretty incredible! Plus, an Instant Pot (or similar pressure cooker) can make so many different types of foods: from spaghetti sauce, to rice, to cakes and desserts! You can even use an Instant Pot to make holiday potpourri or even freshly popped popcorn!
Shop for Instant Pots on Amazon and check out our favorite Instant Pot recipes here!
8. Food Processor
This is one of the most versatile pieces of kitchen equipment! My husband received a Hamilton Beach Food Processor years ago, and it’s been a workhorse. Even with daily use, it’s lasted for over 5 years — definitely a great value!
Here’s a shot of us making Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies in the first year of my blog:
We still have the same food processor! It’s been such an awesome purchase and we still use it every week for something!
Go here to shop Hamilton Beach Food Processors on Amazon!
9. Pizza Stone
If you ask my girls what they want for dinner, 9 times out of 10 they’ll probably say “pizza!”
If you want to take your pizza game to the next level, a pizza stone is a must! A pizza stone ensures even cooking, a perfect crispy crust, and keeps bits of the pizza from falling down into the oven and burning. Who needs an expensive pizza oven when you can get the same awesome results this easily?!
Just look at this gorgeous sweet potato pizza we made on our pizza stone:
Follow this link to shop for pizza stones on Amazon!
10. All Things Silicone
This isn’t so much of an item, but rather, a category! Silicone is a home chef’s best friend! Flexible, easy to wash, non-stick, and heat-resistant — there’s almost nothing it can’t do!
The following are some of our favorite silicone kitchen tools that we use often. Click on the item name to learn more or for purchase info:
- Silicone Baking Mats — If you look at our baking recipes on the blog, you’ll see that we use these handy mats ALL the time in place of foil and parchment paper. They’re totally non-stick (without needing to use baking spray), so your baked goods slide right off. They’re washable and reusable, so there is no paper or aluminum waste.
- Whisks — Silicone coated whisks are good for scrambling eggs and mixing things in pans that you don’t want to risk scratching with a metal whisk. Look for a whisk with a strong handle, since the whisk itself is flexible.
- Silicone Spatula — We love silicone spatulas and spoons because they won’t scratch your expensive non-stick pans! We always keep a variety of sizes and shapes for different tasks. A silicone coated spoon is a great alternative to a wooden spoon because it won’t scratch!
- Baking Cups/Muffin Liners — The same principle behind the baking mats, your muffins and cupcakes will pop right out of these silicone cups! Perfect for making muffins and things that you’ll be enjoying at home, as well as items you’ll be bagging up and freezing. Wash them and reuse over and over!
- Donut Pans — Making baked donuts at home has never been easier! They pop right out of the donut molds, unlike hard metal molds that sometimes stick.
Is there anything else you’d add to the list? Let me know in the comments below!
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