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Williams Sonoma
Some home cooks have their kitchens so well-stocked that it can be impossible to find a gift they don't already own. Shopping is never more frustrating than when looking for someone who already has everything, especially when the anxiety of the holiday countdown starts to set in. But don't worry! If a new knife set, a great cast iron skillet, or a cutting board simply won't cut it, there are still a ton of creative gifts for chefs that you probably haven't thought of yet.
We've done the digging for you and rounded up the best cooking gifts that are functional, thoughtful, and inventive. We also included a few of our tested favorite tools, ingredients, and pantry items. If you're at a loss for what to give the chef in your life this holiday season, your search ends here.
This battery-operated spice grinder adds extra functionality to even the most well-stocked home kitchens. Both pieces have a sleek, streamlined design that looks great on any table regardless of your decorating style. It offers a consistent, reliable grinder while holding a decent amount of peppercorns at one time. Simply load it with your spices, select your desired coarseness, and press the top button.
This set was a top pick in our testing of the best pepper grinders. They couldn’t be easier or more functional, which means they’re a great gift for any home cook looking to elevate their equipment.
Food & Wine / Katherine Polcari
Food & Wine / Katherine Polcari
“I love these cheery squeeze bottles of EVOO from Graza, a brand I fell in love with this year. The oils themselves are high-quality (made from Spanish Picual olives), but it's the convenience of the bottle that makes this set a true must-gift.” — Oset Babür-Winter, Senior Drinks Editor
Food & Wine / Danielle St. Pierre
Food & Wine / Danielle St. Pierre
Food & Wine / Danielle St. Pierre
Food & Wine / Danielle St. Pierre
Food & Wine / Danielle St. Pierre
If making hot lemon water or a cup of tea is part of your morning ritual, this electric gooseneck kettle can make the process a whole lot easier. One of our top picks in our tests of the best gooseneck kettles, we found that it heats up to the right temperature with the touch of a button and can hold water at that temperature until you’re ready to use it. The sleek design makes a gorgeous and functional addition to your countertop — the thin gooseneck is specifically designed to deliver a precise stream at the optimal pour-over flow rate.
Food & Wine / Fred Hardy
Food & Wine / Fred Hardy
Food & Wine / Fred Hardy
Food & Wine / Fred Hardy
“Using quality salt makes all the difference when you're cooking, and this assortment of Icelandic salts from Saltverk makes a practical gift for home cooks. I use the Flaky Sea Salt on top of ice cream, and the Arctic Thyme Salt packs a ton of flavor for soups and sauces.”— Danielle St. Pierre, Commerce Editor
Most home cooks are already set with their favorite chef's knife, but if you're looking for a gift they don't already have, try thinking beyond the usual cutting board tools. A meat cleaver can be more versatile than the name implies — it's perfect for cutting into tough fruits and vegetables like pineapple and squash — and this one from Henckels is both versatile and affordable.
That means it’s perfect for someone looking to experiment with a new piece of cutlery without spending too much, and opting for the trusted brand Henckels means you’ll get years of use out of the same sturdy knife.
“After trying out this gently sweet, umami-packed sauce earlier this year, I've made sure to have my kitchen stocked with it at all times. It turns even the most basic pantry meals into something really special. I love this on fried rice.” — Maria Yagoda, Senior Editor
For anyone who regularly hosts family and friends in the backyard, a smokeless fire pit is a must. Solo Stove's wood-burning fire pits are designed for optimal airflow to avoid teary eyes and the usual fire pit carousel of avoiding waves of smoke. The pit provides plenty of heat, has a removable ashtray for easy cleanup, and even has a stand option that makes it safe for wooden decks.
And yes, there are cooking accessories, including a wok, a pizza oven, and a cast iron griddle. These fire pits are so multifunctional, that they even took a top spot in our recent test of the best fire pits, winning the title “most versatile.”
Food & Wine / Carolyn Malcoun
Food & Wine / Carolyn Malcoun
“Flavor building in both cooking and baking happens in layers, and dried spices and herbs are an essential starting point. This brand sources single-origin, fair trade, and incredibly fragrant essentials from South Asia. Stack a loved one’s pantry with a customizable starter pack for the most impactful savory dishes and sweet treats.” — Kristin Montemarano, Commerce Food Writer
Serious home cooks know how important it is to take care of cooking equipment, and this $7 tool is an easy way to care for cast iron tools. A pan scraper is a guaranteed way to tackle even the toughest, most caked-on bits of food, and this one comes with a standard edge and a grill edge. It's durable and sturdy with an easy-to-grip silicone handle.
“I get very excited about filling up my kitchen with fresh fruits and vegetables each week. This is the centerpiece of my countertop, which displays all of my hard-won garden tomatoes or apples. I love filling it with citrus for parties because it is a fragrant and beautiful display that lasts longer than flowers.” — Jennifer Zyman, Senior Commerce Writer
Having golden-brown waffles that are crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside is a gift that anyone would appreciate — whether you’re an avid home cook or not. A high-quality waffle maker can help ensure that brunch is always accounted for, and this vertical-style machine whips up waffles that would make any diner chef jealous. During our testing of the best waffle makers, we found that this one cooks waffles to perfection. Best of all? The vertical design saves space, making it easier to store.
Food & Wine / Dera Burreson
Food & Wine / Dera Burreson
Food & Wine / Dera Burreson
Food & Wine / Derra Burreson
“I’m a big fan of just about every oil, vinegar, and pantry staple I’ve tried from Brightland, but this special set of miniature-infused olive oils feels especially gift-worthy. This set includes my favorite basil-infused olive oil, ARISE, along with three other deliciously infused olive oils.” — Danielle St. Pierre, Commerce Editor
Forget cookie cutters. Nordic Ware's line of decorative pans takes holiday baking to an entirely new level. This sweet piece is perfect for baking up your mini gingerbread village with its cozy design. Made from nonstick aluminum, it ensures evenly distributed heat and consistent cooking throughout all the little nooks and crannies of the pan. The nonstick coating makes it easy to use and even easier to clean.
Ditch the folded dish towel under your serveware for this sleek and simple piece of silicone. During our tests of the best trivets, this French-style trivet did the best job protecting our countertops from heat and condensation. Made from stain-resistant, non-abrasive silicone, this is a durable piece that’s dishwasher-safe and okay to use in the oven up to 482°F.
For coffee lovers, there's nothing worse than when a hot cup of coffee quickly starts to cool. That's why this mug warmer makes such a great gift — it’s one of the best coffee mug warmers we tested — because it keeps your coffee hot and fresh all morning long. Perfect for tea, cocoa, and soup, this easy-to-transport gadget is a steal—and makes for a great tech gift for home cooks, too.
Food & Wine / Katie Bowler
Food & Wine / Katie Bowler
Food & Wine / Katie Bowler
Every chef knows the benefits of a cast iron pan, but some home cooks still aren't privy to its more refined cousin, the carbon steel pan. A carbon steel pan acts like a cross between a cast iron skillet and a nonstick pan as a two-in-one culinary workhorse. During our testing of the best carbon steel pans, this option was our favorite.
Carbon steel is slick enough to scramble eggs and durable enough to perfectly sear steaks and chicken thighs. Even if your favorite home cook is already stocked with pots and pans, this is a game-changing piece of equipment they might not already have.
In my experience, some of the most passionate and excited home cooks are also the messiest, and this universal silicone lid is a polite way to encourage them to clean it up a bit. Food splatter is an unpleasant but inevitable effect of most culinary adventures, so we love that this lid fits multiple sizes of pots and pans. This silicone lid is made with a stainless steel interior for extra durability and is heat-resistant, dishwasher-safe, and oven-safe up to 400°F.
If you find yourself guessing every time you make a batch of spaghetti, you need this handy gadget in your life. The stainless steel tool easily tells you exactly how much dry spaghetti to cook up for the number of people you're feeding. At $7, it makes the perfect stocking stuffer for experienced home cooks and amateurs alike.
Thought bottle-sabering was reserved for the caves of Champagne? Now you can saber a bottle in your backyard (or living room) with Made In's newly launched Champagne Saber. Made of stainless steel with an ebony wood handle, this saber is an impressive gift that every serious sparkling fan will appreciate.
Even professional chefs have questions when it comes to kitchen conversions. This handy magnet takes the guesswork out of multiplying recipes because it does the culinary math for you. We like that this chart has a glossy water-resistant finish that can be easily wiped clean if your next cooking or baking projects get a bit messy.
“This Sweet & Spicy Gift Set offers a great introduction to these small-batch condiments. The Spicy Honey is awesome on pizza, and the Gochujang Sriracha kicks up the heat in a Bloody Mary recipe.” — Danielle St. Pierre, Commerce Editor
In the decade since Ooni’s launch, it has proven to be the secret to good pizza at home for both chefs and home cooks alike. We’ve tested the Ooni during our quest for the best pizza ovens, written about it, and recommended it multiple times, but still, this magical oven delivers an incredible bang for your buck. Playing double duty as a savvy appliance and a true centerpiece for entertaining, the Ooni is the perfect gift for the cooking-and-hosting obsessed.
“The gas-powered oven is a breeze to set up and get heated,” says Drew Record, Sommelier at Chezchez in San Francisco. “Even if I get home from work at 3 a.m., I can fire up a quick pizza if I want to.”
Food & Wine / Morgan Hunt Glaze
Food & Wine / Stacy K. Allen
Food & Wine / Stacy K. Allen
Food & Wine / Stacy K. Allen
Our Expertise
Laura Denby is a food and beverage writer with a degree in Culinary Arts from the Institute of Culinary Education and years of experience working in professional kitchens. With the goal of helping home cooks become more efficient, she focuses on creating thoroughly tested buying guides for sites like FoodNetwork.com, Forbes Vetted, Saveur, Real Simple, and more. For this piece, she relied on her personal experience working with these products, along with her professional culinary background and industry insight.