Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts For Foodies
If youโre shopping for a โfoodie,โ this is the guide for you! This gift guide is a collection of some of my very favorite items and products that deserve a spot in the kitchen of every home cook or food lover.
Created with the home chef or foodie in mind, Iโm excited to share this gift guide with you. Iโve included products at a variety of price points that I use and love in my home on a daily (or weekly) basis.
Over the past decade, Iโve spent more time than I can even begin to count in the kitchen and have had the opportunity to try many gadgets, small kitchen appliances, and kitchen essentials โ this list reflects my favorites. (And just for fun, Iโve added a section for the youngest foodies on your shopping list!)
I hope this inspires thoughtful gift-giving this year!
Foodie Gift Guide
KITCHEN ESSENTIALS
All-Clad Saucepans โ About five years ago, I upgraded to All-Clad saucepans and have been absolutely smitten. They heat so evenly and clean up wonderfully. I recommend starting with the 2-quart and 4-quart sizes.
Lodge Cast Iron Skillet โ We have one 10-inch and two 12-inch cast iron skillets and use them every single day. At some point, there is always one on the stove. Every kitchen needs at least one!
Le Creuset Dutch Oven โ A pricey investment but worth every penny. I have had the 7.25-quart version for over a decade and I use it multiple times a week for spaghetti sauce, soups, stews, braising, and no-knead breadโฆ you name it and you can make it in a quality Dutch oven.
7-Piece Knife Set โ Good (sharp!) knives are one of my top three kitchen essentials, and perhaps THE biggest difference-maker in your cooking or baking prep. There are so many different brands, but Wusthof is my absolute favorite. This set contains all of the basics.
Stainless Steel Steak Knives โ Dishwasher safe and slice like a dream. I highly recommend if you're in the market for knives (or know anyone getting married!).
Thermapen โ Thisย instant-read digital thermometerย has been a staple in my kitchen for years. I canโt imagine cooking or baking without it! Itโs incredibly versatile โ I use it when making whole chickens, deep-fried turkeys, caramel sauce, candy, baked bread, burgers on the grill, and everything in between.
Zeroll Ice Cream Scoop โ The absolute best ice cream scoop Iโve ever owned.
SMALL KITCHEN APPLIANCES
KitchenAid Hand Mixer โ I love my stand mixer, but I use my hand mixer wayyyyy more often. Most jobs donโt require a stand mixer, and this 7-speed KitchenAid hand mixer makes easy work of virtually any cookie dough or cake batter.
Breville Food Processor โ While itโs definitely an investment, Iโve never used a better food processor in all of my years in the kitchen. I love that it has a digital counter so you can easily see how long itโs been running (perfect for recipes that indicate a specific processing time).
Breville Coffee Maker โ We had been using a Keurig for years (and loved it), but we missed using freshly ground coffee beans. There are tons of brewing options (including cold brews and single cups) to create a totally custom cup of coffee.
Breville Waffle Maker โ I make pancakes more often than waffles, but when I do make waffles (like buttermilk waffles), I am so glad I have this waffle maker! I used to have one of those round Belgian waffle makers that you flip upside-down, but this one is so much easier to use and not messy at all.
Breville Smart Oven โ I never imagined Iโd be someone who loves using a toaster oven, but I am! We use this smart oven multiple times a day for plain old toast, reheating leftover pizza, broiling hoagies, and everything in between.
Wolf Gourmet Electric Griddle โ My pancake game has never been stronger! This griddle makes perfect pancakes every time, and we also use it for grilled cheese, toasted sandwiches, and more.
Kitchen Scale โ Weighing ingredients makes such a difference in any baking recipe. This is the one I use in my kitchen โ it can hold up to 22 pounds and is incredibly versatile.
STOCKING STUFFERS
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OXO Everyday Spatula โ My favorite spatula โ sturdy with just the right amount of give.
Spoon Spatula โ Perfect for scraping out small containers (like the bottom of peanut butter jars).
Scrub Daddy โ Admittedly not a sponge person, but I actually love these. You need very little soap, they rinse super clean, and dry quickly.
Dish Towels โ Thick, absorbent, and available in a variety of colors.
Perfect Pasta Salt Rocks โ Elevate any pasta dish with these fun salt rocks.
Finishing Salt โ A little pinch goes a long way!
LITTLE CHEFS & BAKERS
Personalized Apron โ Nothing says chef status like an apron. There are so many cute patterns to choose from!
Wooden Baking Utensils โ Usable wooden kitchen utensils, just at a smaller, kid-friendly size.
Play Kitchen Tools and Play Pots & Pans โ Add these kitchen tools and pots/pans to your childโs play kitchen.
Pop-Up Cake Kit โ A fun indoor project for a cold, snowy afternoon.
Cookie Puzzle โ 12 puzzles in one that the whole family will have fun working on.
KiwiCo Science of Cooking: Bread & Butter Kit โ This fun delivery provides a kid-friendly approach to gluten, yeast, and emulsions.
My Very First Cookbook and The Delish Kids Cookbook โ Both offer easy-to-follow instructions and a variety of recipes for the youngest chefs and bakers.
SPECIAL DELIVERIES
Graeterโs Ice Cream โ My favorite brand of ice cream! Put together a 6-pack or 12-pack of assorted flavors for the ultimate ice cream lover.
Davidโs Tea โ Years ago, I bought my mom a gift set from Davidโs Tea and sheโs been hooked ever since. I gift her new flavors to try every holiday season.
Levain Bakery Cookies โ Send a taste of NYC to your loved ones! This set of 8 cookies will brighten anyoneโs day.
Zingermanโs Coffee Cake โ Based in Michigan, Zingermanโs is famous for its coffee cake. Choose an assortment of 3 coffee cakes to send this holiday season.
Curdbox โ A cheese subscription box! How fun is this?!
Custom Message Shortbread Cookies โ Simply adorable. These would be so much fun to open!
Goldbelly Gift Card โ Order famous meals from places all over the country, like Shake Shack burgers, Philly cheesesteaks, Chicago deep dish pizza, Primanti Brothers sandwiches, New York bagels, etc. A fun gift for the whole family to enjoy!
TELL ME! What would you add to this list? Do you have a go-to foodie gift that everyone loves? Iโm always looking for new ideas!
HAPPY SHOPPING!
Can you please recommend the milk frothed you use. Thank you.ย
Hi Shannon, Iโm not much of a coffee drinker and we donโt own a milk frother. So sorry!
I bought the French steak knife set a couple years ago, based on your recommendation. They are 100% the best weโve used-and a great price for the quality. We ended up buying a set for my husbandโs family as well. ย Great designs too, with a couple different options.
Oh Iโm so, so glad you love the knives! We love ours!!
Love seeing my hometown favorite, Graeterโs, on your list. Theyโre releasing a vegan ice cream that is said to be absolutely as delicious as the original ice cream. Iโm skeptical but the Graeter family is protective of their brand so if they say itโs good, that works for me.
Wonderful gift guide ideas. I am finding so many ideas here. Difficult to choose because they are all good :)
Awesome listโฆall my favsโฆjust sent the hubby linksโฆI need the coffee pot and slow cooker in my life!
Regarding baking stones. If you have a friend who is into pizza or would like to mimic a wood oven type of environment, the perfect gift is a Baking Steel from bakingsteel.com They also sell them through King Arthur flour.com A dear friend gave me mine a few years ago and I now make better pizza than I ever have. They are pricey โ $125 for the original steel, but they also make stovetop griddled and such. The story of the company is worth a visit to their website.
I second the OXO scale as I also bake by weight โ Iโve become a much better baker since I started doing that
Everyone needs a Ninja Foodi!!! I absolutely love mine and use it every single day since it does everything! I had the most delicious turkey breast for Thanksgivingโฆbrined, pressure cooked and crisped the skin right in the Foodi and it also makes the BEST cheesecakes!!! It has freed me up to give away my Fagor pressure cooker, my air fryer and one of my slow cookers. I also have the All-Clad Non-stick cookware that I love too and highly recommend.
If you buy an air fryer, get the largest one you can find! I made the mistake of buying a smaller one and while it works great, it takes forever to make enough for a family of 3. Iโve ended up frustrated with the whole process.
Michelle,
As someone who has been cooking as long as your grandmother, Iโve spent decades cooking for my family and friends. ย When I discovered the electric pressure cooker a few years ago, it was a game changer! ย A whole chicken in 20 minutes? ย I donโt have to stay home watching a soup all day? ย I bought a Fagor and have been extremely happy to hang up my apron early! ย I hope you get on the wagon soon so you can have more free time!
I too keep a list of gifts I bought for people since I canโt recall very well . I hate to give same gift twice.
Iโd add microplane, jar openers, pizza stone. Pizza peel just to name a few.
The Wolf Gourmet Oven indicates it is no longer available when clicking on the link.
I was really excited for this list till I saw the prices. Yikes! Any suggestions for people that cook and bake but are living on a real-world budget?
Hi Kristen, What exactly are you looking for? Iโd be happy to give you my recommendations if you tell me what type of product youโre looking for and at what price point. However, the sheet pans, cast iron skillets, baking stone, silpats, spiralizer, kitchen scale, tea, and sponges are all what I would consider โbudget friendlyโ. I like to include items at a range of price points, and those that Iโve also had personal experience using.
I love my sheet pans and uses them all of the time. Iโm ordering some silpats to go with them. What is the advantage of a jelly roll pan? ย Canโt they be used interchangeably with the sheet pans?
Hi Susan, A jelly roll pan is just a different size; the half sheet pans are usually 13ร18 while a jelly roll pan is 10ร15. Hope that helps! If just using for roasting then they can be used interchangeably, but if using for baking something, the sizes arenโt interchangeable.
I tend to buy more bake goods and candy at Graeterโs instead of ice cream.
There Buckeyes are so good.
They have gift boxes and I give one along with a gift certificate for a later visit.
Thx for the list! I have been looking for a good steak knife set. Every set I buy is disappointing, so Iโll definitely give the ones you mentioned a try!
I have a set of steak knives from Chicago Cutlery that I bought at the grocery sometime in the last 6-8 years. ย Theyโre the best Iโve ever owned. ย
Iโd love to have the toaster oven, but I have no room for it. ย I need new half sheet pans. ย
Ditto regarding the list! ย We have the All-Clad Slow Cooker and itโs amazing. ย Just made Italian Beef for Halloween night. ย We also have the Le Creuset Dutch oven. ย Itโs a work horse and looks great on the stove๐. Also love love our All-Clad waffle maker.
Awesome to know about the slow cooker!
We use our Air Fryer quite a bit during the wintry months when we canโt grill outside. It makes the juiciest chicken and I always use it for crab cakes to avoid frying them in oil!
Thanks for the tip! I still havenโt pulled the trigger, but great to know!
What a great list! I have many of the items โ LOVE the OXO scale & KitchenAid mixer & my spiralizer. As for the air fryer, I think itโs a single-use item that I donโt need. I oven fry occasionally but canโt see taking up precious pantry space for this appliance. One of my favorite & most used kitchen items are silicone spatulas โ I have many different sizes & brands, all with wooden handles โ some of them come apart (not good). The newer ones with plastic handles โ molded together โ look great. Maybe Santa will bring me some!
Yes, I love my silicone spatulas too, Iโll make sure to include them in my next list!
Awesome listโฆhave you seen the proline in copper? OMG beautifulโฆbut I canโt pull the trigger and justify the extra cost for color :-)
I have, itโs GORGEOUS! But yeah, no way can I justify that!