Is someone on your gift list a great cook? A passionate foodie? Grill master? One of those home bakers who brings professional-looking cupcakes to every potluck and brushes it off as no big deal? We’ve sussed out the best gifts for cooks and foodies that’ll take their recreational interest to the next level. And let’s be honest, the whole family benefits when the culinarily inclined use the best of the best in the kitchen. Treats for all! Here’s our curated luxury holiday gift shop with the best gifts for the home chef, baker, griller and foodie on your list, including cookbooks, kitchen appliances, linens and experiences like travel, cooking lessons and more.
what do home chefs and foodies actually want as a luxury gift?
If you have someone in your life who really appreciates small-batch, artisanal, regionally-renowned food items – like honey, marshmallows, salt, ice, jam and jelly, tea, butter, bread and even hot sauce – we’ve shared our reports on the best of breed in each of those those categories. Good dishes start with great ingredients so we’d definitely recommend checking those guides out.
Our luxury holiday gift list with the best for the home chef, baker, griller and foodie, including cookbooks, kitchen appliances, linens and experiences.
But in case that’s not enough gift-giving inspiration this holiday, we’re offering additional ideas and insights on what the foodies of the world are hoping for this year. We’re sharing ideas for products and experiences sure to please any foodie, baker, griller or home chef with plenty of options from under $50 to…well you’ll see. Sometimes you can’t put a price on a once-in-a-lifetime culinary experience. Any way you slice, dice or mandolin it, something on this list is sure to be perfect for the passionate cook in your life.
What are the best luxury gifts for the home chef or foodie, including the cookbook, experience or kitchen product they’ll really love?
best luxury gifts in appliances and cookware
The Best Cooking Equipment + Vessels
It all starts in the kitchen. From the only food thermometer you’ll ever need to the cutest cocottes you can imagine, this covetable gear will be your giftee’s new essentials. How did they ever live without them?
1. Goliath Granite Mortar & Pestle by Frieling
Crush, grind and mix herbs and spices for a potent meat rub or make fresh pesto your signature “thing”. Frieling’s beautiful mortar and pestle looks as good sitting out at rest as it does at work.
BUY NOW – $79.95.
2. Set of 4 Olive Wood Spoons by Williams Sonoma
Every kitchen should have a grabbable set of wooden spoons to stir, scrape up flavorful fond and generally lend a rustic vibe with gorgeous graining. These are the kind of things that will get passed down in the family, too.
BUY NOW – $129.95.
3. Karu 12 Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven by Ooni
At first glance, a pizza oven may seem like one of those single-use, extraneous appliances that will collect dust after a first novelty use. Let us tell you: whoever gets an Ooni pizza oven as a gift will use it All. The. Time. Everyone loves a pizza party and the end product is totally delicious. They’ll be slingin’ pies weekly.
BUY NOW – $299.00.
4. Thermapen ONE by Thermoworks
This is the best instant-read thermometer on the market. Professionals use it. Home chefs use it. It’s extremely accurate and will make overcooked (or undercooked) food a thing of the past. If they don’t already have one, they’ll be singing your praises for years.
BUY NOW – $99.95.
5. Rectangular Salt Plank by Bisetti
No, this is not a crystal apparatus to bring good energy to a kitchen. It’s a block of salt sourced from deposits in the Himalayas. When you’re looking for an extra subtle hint of flavor, this mineral-rich plank adds complexity to many different types of food. Heat it on the grill to sear seafood and meat, or chill it before serving fruit, vegetables and cheese with a hint of salt.
BUY NOW – $82.95.
6. Half Sheet Baking Mat by Silpat
For avid bakers—or any cooks, really—a Silpat is a game-changer. Nothing sticks to it and it replaces rolls and rolls of parchment paper. Boxing Day cookies, anyone?
BUY NOW – $27.95.
7. Set of 4 Stoneware Mini Cocottes by Le Creuset
No holiday gift list for cooks would be complete without a bit of Le Creuset. They likely already have a workhorse dutch oven from the brand, but these little cocottes—perfect for single-serve baking, cooking or serving (so cute on a cheeseboard with honey or jam)—will be an unexpected and welcome addition to their collection.
Best luxury gift for the home chef and foodie, including cookbooks and travel experiences.
BUY NOW – $144.00.
8. Centerpiece Cork Bowl by Unisom Home
Porcelain, ceramic and even wood are venerated materials on the table, but how about cork? It’s sustainable, antimicrobial and naturally water repellent. In other words, ideal for a centerpiece full of fruit.
BUY NOW – $62.00.
9. Adélaïde Large Deep Platter by Astier de Villatte
If your chic giftee doesn’t know about Astier de Villatte, this may start an obsession. Astier’s ceramic pieces are handmade in Paris of black terracotta clay with a signature white glaze. Start them out or add to their collection with this large platter—it looks great in multiples.
BUY NOW – $266.00.
10. Circle Serving Board by Khem Studios
Whether they use it for serving or cutting, Khem Studios’s walnut board will look beautiful out on the counter.
BUY NOW – $115.00.
11. Build Your Own Spice Shelf by Diaspora Co.
For all the interest and flavor spices bring to home cuisine, the spice aisle at the supermarket is pretty depressing. Not so with Diaspora Co. After you’ve wowed them with the vibrant tins (assortment of your or their choice), everyone can feel great about the sourcing from India and Sri Lanka where Diaspora Co. pays farmers fairly and builds lasting infrastructure.
BUY NOW – Starting at $60.00.
The Best Kitchen Linens
All the soft goods to have at hand for cleanup and moving around heavy hot things.
12. Set of 2 Linen Stripe Kitchen Towels by Food52
They may be the second most important piece of kitchen equipment after a sharp chef’s knife. Upgrade their kitchen towels with these classic striped linen ones from Food 52.
BUY NOW – $45.00.
13. Stella Alpina Verde Cotton Apron by La Double J.
This apron guarantees “fabulousness on all genders, generations, shapes and sizes” and we have to agree. Who wouldn’t love to wear this printed number for holiday cooking and beyond?
BUY NOW – $120.00.
14. Oven Mitts Set by Gorilla Grips
There are plenty of cute oven mitts out there, but when you really want the best performing, most protective ones, go with these silicone mitts lined in cotton from Gorilla Grips. They routinely top rigorous tests and they’re so much better than a damp dish towel.
BUY NOW – $21.99.
15. Linen Pot Holder Set by Hawkins New York
For the times when you don’t quite need the full oven mitt, these simple (but elegant!) linen pot holders are perfect to have on hand and double as trivets.
BUY NOW – $28.00.
Best Cookbooks for Home Chefs and Foodies
For the cook who already has their kitchen fully equipped to their liking, there’s no better gift than a new, interesting cookbook to expand their repertoire.
16. Sweet Enough by Alison Roman
Alison Roman brings her signature laid-back cooking style and distinctive voice to her first all- dessert (sort of) cookbook.
BUY NOW – $35.00.
17. Flamingo Estate Fridays From the Garden Cookbook
Flamingo Estate—the lush pleasure-obsessed retreat in the hills of Los Angeles that became a brand—has released a collection of over 150 recipes from local chefs. Equal parts ode to Mother Nature and produce-forward guide, it should get them in a Golden State mindset.
BUY NOW – $78.00.
18. Tenderheart by Hetty Lui McKinnon
Veggie lover on your list? Part cookbook, part memoir, Tenderheart is a loving homage to Hetty Lui McKinnon’s father, a Chinese immigrant in Australia, told in flavorful, vegetarian recipes.
BUY NOW – $40.00.
19. Everyday Grand: Soulful Recipes for Celebrating Life’s Big and Small Moments by Jocelyn Delk Adams
Let’s celebrate…everything! From the culinary sweetheart and blogger behind Grandbaby Cakes comes a cookbook full of gratitude, positivity, and 80+ Southern-inspired comfort food recipes.
BUY NOW – $32.50.
20. Marble Cookbook Stand by McGee and Co.
No more greasy pages or lost places. Give their cookbooks a solid place to rest, open to the page they need.
BUY NOW – $68.00.
Best Luxury Gift Experiences for Home Chefs and Foodies
Some people would much prefer an experience to an object when it comes to gifting. If your loved one is among them, a surprise trip to a destination restaurant could be the dream gift. Short of that, here are some other ideas.
21. YesChef online cooking classes
An online learning platform focused solely on cooking skills, YesChef offers classes from rising star chefs like Kwame Onwuachi . It’s a great way to help your beloved home chef go to a whole new level.
BUY NOW: $15 per month.
22. Luxury travel adventure from Piemonte.
Culinary travel can be a marvelous adventure for home chefs and foodies alike, and travel specialist Piemonte is a great resource for planning a dream vacation. The firm can curate unforgettable and unique experiences in the heart of Piemonte, the Langhe, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Customized food and wine tours, truffle hunting and more!
23. Masterclass Culinary Arts classes.
Lifetime learners are living in a golden age of online instruction, and the culinary arts are among the most popular categories. Alice Waters, Wolfgang Puck, Gordon Ramsey and Yotam Ottolenghi are among the instructors on Masterclass, and you can gift a membership that gives access to the full library of courses.
24. Sur la Table Cooking Classes
IRL and a little closer to home, gift them date-night cooking classes. Choose from an array of hands-on classes like “Autumn in Italy” to “Restaurant Style Sushi”.
Best luxury gift for the home chef and foodie, including the cookbook, travel experiences or appliances they’ll love.
BUY NOW – $89.00 per seat.
best luxury gifts for the home chef or foodie this year
That’s it. Our expert’s curated luxury holiday gift shop with the best gifts this year for the home chef, baker, grill master and foodie, including cookbooks, kitchen appliances, linens and experiences like travel and online learning. Happy gifting! And have a delicious holiday, dear reader.
