What’s the best gift idea for the foodie in your life? They’re always smelling things, and their condiment collection takes up multiple shelves. You can’t give them something expected, like another Boos block or the Our Place Always Pan. Plus it’s safe to assume they already own every knife they’ll ever use in a lifetime.
What’s left to gift, then? Whether it’s for the eater or the doer, the recipe follower or the one who lets their ancestors guide their seasoning ways, below we’ve rounded up a handy list to refer to.
Best Gift Ideas for Foodies
If They Love to Make a Charcuterie Board
Everyone likes cheese. Second maybe only to chocolate, this is your safest bet.
For the Undefeated Cookie-Swap Champion
Not all vanilla extract is the same: Heilala’s is beloved by chefs, fancy pastry people, and regular folks who just make a lot of cookies. Its goopy vanilla paste will leave these lovely black vanilla-bean specks in whatever you bake, plus it gets bonus points for being ethically sourced.
For the Foodie Finally Delving Into Sourdough
Sure they’re a little late to the bread-baking party but they’re here now, right? This bread-making kit is the gift that keeps on giving meaning, you’ll all probably be enjoying homemade bread for the foreseeable future.
For the Spicy-Food Connoisseur
This collection of sauces, spices, and peppers will keep them busy for months. Try the Zhong sauce with dumplings and sprinkle the Mala spice over meat as a marinade (it also makes for a delicious popcorn topping). The chili crisp is literally good on anything. And lastly, the peppercorns and chilies can be transformed into your own chili oil or incorporated into recipes like mapo tofu.
For the Foodie With a Favorite Olive Oil (or Two)
Fancy oils deserve even fancier bottles, and these bottles are great for their favorite oils or homemade dressings.
For the Messy Chef
For the Wine-Obsessed
Every month, they’ll receive a selection of wines, curated by an Eater-approved expert or sommelier, with detailed tasting note cards from the expert and, of course, expert wine intel. To give you a taste of what to expect, November was curated by certified sommelier Cha McCoy. Choose from two to six bottles per month and red or white wines. Anyone who fancies themselves an expert in the world of wine will appreciate getting the selection delivered right to their door.
For the Gluten-Free Foodie
If they have a sense of humor, they will enjoy this charming Japanese bread lamp.
For the Foodie Who Swears You Can Only Get Decent Pizza in New York
Nothing says “I love you” like the best Neapolitan pie in the five boroughs.
For the Foodie With a Serious Sweet Tooth
What is someone with a sweet tooth going to like more than a variety pack of chocolate? Honey Mama’s exciting flavors of chocolate, like tahini tangerine and lavender rose, make for a great (and delicious) gift.
For the Foodie with Too Many Knives
Do they have a handmade waxed canvas roll to carry them in? Even if they’re just taking them to get sharpened at the hardware store, this Georgia-made roll will show them off and make them feel like their idol Bobby Flay.
If Their Favorite Part of Traveling Is Exploring New Cuisines
Whether you’ve been to Portugal or not, its history of food is easily explored with over 500 recipes and history by the acclaimed chef Leandro Carreira. Plus you can visit him in person at his latest restaurant in New York if you love what you read.
For the Foodie Who Weighs Their Coffee Beans
If you’re feeling particularly generous, get them this gorgeous, well-designed electric pour-over coffee machine by Ratio. It’s the sexiest coffee machine on the market, hands down — there’s a reason it’s sold out on Goop. Don’t worry, you review watchdog — it’s highly rated, too.
For the Foodie Who Grills
If they’ve been grilling the same burgers, chicken skewers, and blackened catfish for decades now, help them change things up with this new cookbook from Rodney Scott, one of the country’s most respected names in barbecue.
For the Sober-Curious Person
Whether you’re sober or sober-curious, why not try out one of the most well-known spirit-free aperitifs? With this starter pack, you can try all the beverages the brand has to offer.
If They Already Own the Great Jones Dutchess
Smithey’s grill pan makes perfectly char-marked burgers and green beans — and isn’t that all you want from it? But it also looks good when left out on the stove afterward.
For the Outdoorsy Foodie
This portable folding grill can stick in the ground next to any campfire/fire pit/beach fire and become a makeshift Weber — but it’s a lot lighter. It adjusts up and down and comes with a bag to carry it in too. Don’t forget the mustard!
For the Foodie Who’s Still Very Much Into Kale
Crisper drawers only get you so far. Store delicate greens and any other vegetables likely to wilt in the fridge in these Vejibags — thick, organic cotton sacks that you dampen before storing. It extends the life of vegetables by days, or, in the case of cabbage, weeks.
For the Coffee Lover Who Has All the Gear
The gift of nice coffee is classic, but how about the gift of five pounds of coffee all at once? An airplane-pillow-size five-pounder of Stumptown’s crowd-pleasing Hair Bender costs $75, lasts about a month in a two-person coffee-loving household, and is most likely fresher than what you find at grocery stores.
For Anyone That Got Into Cooking During Lockdown
Nothing says cooking expert like a fancy olive oil. This trio will have them look and cook like a restaurant owner.
For the Tex-Mex-Loving
We all have that go-to air-fryer meal, so why not gift your friend who loves Tex-Mex some taco bites to satisfy?
For the Foodie Who Loves Eating Out of a Tin
This new-ish tinned-fish company started by Becca Millstein and Caroline Goldfarb is fun, playful, stylish, and tasty and does limited-edition drops. A tuna sandwich never felt so exciting.
For the Foodie Who Appreciates Little Luxuries
Grab a few of these jars and fill them with spices like vibrant Aleppo pepper, fancy saffron, or truffle sea salt. They make for lovely small gifts that feel special.
For the Foodie With a Ton of Personal Style
Founded by two sisters, Misette (pronounced my set) is known for its carefully crafted and beautifully designed tableware. These bowls are a must-have for the people who love the stylish side of food … even if it is just for eating cereal.
For the Baker-in-Training
Everyone needs a good oven mitt for protection, so why not get one that doubles as cute kitchen décor?
For the Foodie Who Loves Citrus
Easily mistaken for a real lemon, this candle is the perfect addition to any kitchen. Just don’t place it too close to real lemons.
For Anyone Who Loves Cake
This NYC-based magazine is an exploration of cakes through many different forms, and each volume explores a new side to cake. Wicked Cake features over 80 pages of content including recipes, essays, poems, illustrations, and photographs, like Sohla El-Waylly’s recipe for a death-by-chocolate cake and an array of other sinister takes on cake.
For the Foodie Who Always Hosts
To really take their hosting skills to the next level, gift some practical (and cute) wooden serving spoons for any salad or dish.
More Gift Guides
- The Best Sh*t Cut Editors Bought This Year
- 31 Best Last-Minute Gifts That Will Still Arrive On Time
- 43 Gifts for Every Type of Employee
