Find fun and original gifts for cooks.
Are you looking for gift ideas for home cooks? Then take a look at this list full of cooking gifts, tools, and gadgets that anyone who loves to cook will love getting. Most of them are really affordable with a couple of more pricy and luxurious gift ideas for the home cook thrown in. So, scroll down and check out these original cooking gift ideas for cooks.
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1. A Personalized Wooden Cutting Board
A sturdy wooden cutting board would already be a great cooking gift idea, but this one that can be customized is even better. You can pick from a bunch of sizes and wood types to get something they’ll love. On top of that, you can pick how you want to get it personalized. The smaller personalization in the corner is a great idea because this doesn’t take away from the usability of the actual cutting surface. All in all, one of the best gifts for home cooks.
2. A Personal Recipe Book
This notebook provides the perfect layout for you to fill in with all of your favorite recipes. This way you can keep track of all the adaptions and changes you make along the way and you can use it as the fall-out base for others to cook from. You can also easily pass it on to the next generation, who will be really thankful for their ready-made recipe book. It’s spiral-bound, so you can just fold it in half so it won’t take up as much counter space while baking or cooking. This is, of course, just one of the many different designs available on Amazon.
3. A Sturdy Dutch Oven
A Dutch oven is a great addition to your pots and pans collection if you love making wintery meals such as stews and roasts or baking bread from scratch. This one comes in a bunch of different colors and sizes to choose from, so perfect to find the size you need or want. If you want to give this as a gift, then keep their other kitchen appliances and overall kitchen design in mind when picking the color to get something they’ll like.
4. A Knife Set
A nice knife block filled with a set of knives always looks good on a kitchen counter. This set, in particular, is complete with all the essentials without going overboard pricewise. It also comes in two different colors, with one having a more traditional look and the other being a bit more modern. This is great as a housewarming gift for home cooks who are building out their own kitchen tools and such for the first time.
5. A Cheat Sheet Apron
With this apron, you have all the information you need so you can stop googling some of the most basic cooking things such as how to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit and other measurement conversions. So if you are like me and tend to need your phone on hand to cook, then this apron is perfect. If you are looking for a more traditional apron, then take a look at this list of aprons for home chefs. An apron is a great smaller cooking gift to give.
6. A KitchenAid Stand Mixer
By now, it has become a staple on everyone’s kitchen wishlist. a KitchenAid stand mixer is not only really handy and easy to use, but it also looks amazing in all the different colors it comes in. From mat black to stainless steel and even every pastel color you can imagine. So take a look at which color you like best. This is great for bakers and home cooks alike because you can do so much with one of these. Just make sure your budget to it, since it is the most expensive item on this cooking gift guide.
7. A Countertop Waste Bin
A great thing to have if you cook a lot is a container to collect your trash in as you go. This container that comes in a bunch of different colors and sizes is perfect for that. You can put all the food scraps in there and it will keep it airtight, so your house won’t smell. You can even keep it in your fridge if you don’t want your bin stinking too much, days before garbage day. It can serve as your mini compost bin or as a handy countertop bin.
8. A Traditional Cast Iron Skillet
This is another kitchen staple for every home cook. There are so many dishes you can take to the next level by using a cast-iron skillet. On top of that, it’s a really affordable gift idea for the home cook. So maybe this is the thing to get. It comes in a couple of different sizes, so be sure to figure out which one they would like to get before ordering one. These skillets are great because they’re pre-seasoned, so you can start using them straight away.
9. A Versatile Instant Pot
A slow cooker is great for when you want to enjoy a home-cooked meal, but don’t have a lot of time in the evening. However, an instant pot can do so much more than that. It also functions as a rice cooker, steamer, and yogurt maker just to name a few. This also comes in a couple of different sizes and the standard or bigger size is perfect for family meals and busy parents that love to provide their kids with homemade meals, but can use a bit of help from a kitchen gadget like this.
10. A Vacuum Sealer
Up until now, it’s all been about things to help you cook, but this gift idea for the home cook is great for prepping foods and for storing foods once they are cooked. A vacuum sealer is a great tool to have if you like to batch cook or if you like to buy food supplies in bulk. It’s basically the best way to keep fresh foods such as meat, fresh for longer in your fridge or freezer. It’s also a great way to save some space in your freezer. Just make sure to also get them a supply of the matching bags.
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11. A Pair of Multi-Functional Scissors
If you’re looking for a small and cheap gift for home cooks, then a pair of scissors like this is perfect. They’re small enough that they can be used for more precise tasks, yet sharp enough to get through everything. They also have a hole under the pivot point that’s perfect for taking herbs off of their stem. The sharp point of the scissors also makes them great for precise tasks. And let’s all agree that a pair of good scissors is pretty much as important as a knife in the kitchen.
12. A 5-in-1 Griddle: gifts for home cooks
This might look like a panini press, and it is. However, it also allows you to use it for a bunch of different things. It comes with removable and reversible plates, so it’s easy to use as a griddle with the flat side and you can just pop the plates in the dishwasher. On top of that, the entire thing can fold open to lay flat, so you can use both surfaces as a grill or griddle. It’s a great kitchen appliance that’s perfect for anyone who makes a lot of sandwiches, pancakes, or steaks.
13. A Fun Pair of Oven Mitts
One of the more traditional gift ideas for home cooks is a pair of fun mitts like these ones. They come in two colors and are just great funny gift ideas for anyone who enjoys cooking or baking. This is, of course, just one example of the many great fun oven mitts out there that can range in theme and in practicality. If they have a favorite show or animal, they’re a high chance that there is a pair of oven mitts to match. You can also get them a more traditional set with maybe a nice matching apron to finish it off.
14. A Measure Conversion Magnet
One of the best small cooking gift ideas on this gift guide for home cooks is this handy magnet to hang on your fridge. It’s a simple stainless steel magnet that has all the measuring units and their matching conversions in a row. This is great if you use different sources for your recipes that might be written with a different kind of measurement than the one you have the tools for. This one is about volumes primarily, so not for weight measurements.
15. A Pizza Stone and Pizza Peel Set
It can be pretty tricky to make good homemade pizzas, and a pizza stone can be a great help to improve your pizza-making skills. You simply keep the stone in your oven to make your oven a bit more like an actual pizza oven functions. Then you assemble the pizza on the peel, using enough cornmeal or flour to keep it from sticking and you then slide it onto the stone. It’s the perfect present for anyone who loves making and eating homemade pizzas.
16. An Adjustable Mandoline
From cheese to vegetables, anything that you want to slice or great can be done with a handy mandoline like this one. It’s a great help in the kitchen to get even cuts or slices of something that are too thin to easily do with a knife if you’re not a professional chef. The only word of caution is to be careful with your fingers and to use the provided holder to cut the last couple of bits so that you don’t start slicing up your actual fingers.
17. A Wine Pairing Kitchen Towel Set
If they enjoy a good glass of wine paired with their meal, then this set of tea towels is a great gift idea for the home cook. One is filled with recommendations on what red wine to pair with what foods and the other does the same for white wine. It’s a fun gift idea because it’s both filled with useful information and is just a practical set of tea towels. So, if you’re looking for something small and fun for the wine drinker, this is it.
18. A Cooking Necklace
Are you looking for a gift idea for cooks that’s cute and doesn’t have anything to do with the actual cooking itself, then this pretty necklace by QCustomJewelry on Etsy is a great option. This pretty necklace comes in a couple of different color options and you can pick the size of the chain so that it will fit them perfectly. Of course, this is just an example of the many cooking-themed pieces of jewelry that you can find on Etsy, so take a look around.
19. A Pasta Maker: cooking gift ideas
Pasta dishes are often some of the more easy and foolproof recipes to make. However, you can easily upgrade your dish by making your pasta from scratch. With this pasta maker, you can make three different kinds, including sheets, spaghetti, and tagliatelli. It’s a pretty pricey model, though definitely worth it. There are some more affordable options out there that are also great gifts for home cooks. So, if they love pasta this is one to add to your list of gift ideas.
20. An Indoor Herb Garden
Using fresh herbs in your dishes is another way to upgrade your recipes. However, it can be pretty tricky to always have fresh herbs on hand. This indoor garden is a great solution for that. It’s low maintenance and can be used to grow herbs in a small space without it needing a lot of care and attention. So, if they, for example, live in a small apartment, then this is a great addition to their kitchen space. You can even add some seed packets to get them started straight away.
21. A Blender and Food Processor in One
Having a powerful blender is a great asset to any kitchen. However, to make this one even better, it also has a food processor attachment, which makes it a lot easier to quickly chop a bunch of vegetables. This combo is relatively affordable in comparison to other blenders that are just as powerful. The only thing with this one is to be careful with the washing up because it has a fair share of blades on the inside. It also comes with two cups for smoothies or juicing as a nice bonus.
22. A Set of Airtight Food Containers
The more you cook, the more random food supplies you have in your pantry. For some of them, you need good airtight storage to keep it fresh and away from any bugs or moisture. These airtight containers by OXO are great gifts for home cooks that are both practical and a nice-looking way to organize your pantry. It is a bit pricey, but these will last for years to come and are a great housewarming gift idea for someone who loves cooking.
23. A DIY Hot Sauce Kit
If you’re looking for a food-related gift idea for a cook, then this hot sauce kit is a great option. You get everything you may need to make your own personal hot sauce cocktail from scratch. It even comes with little bottles to store it in. It’s perfect for anyone who loves hot sauce and tends to put it on everything they eat. It’s also just a nice gift box for foodies that isn’t too expensive or outrageous. Just be sure that they actually like hot sauce before getting this DIY kit.
24. A Stuffed Waffle Maker
A waffle iron would already be a great addition to this cooking gift guide for home cooks. But this stuffed waffle maker is a great upgrade to a traditional waffle iron. It’s perfect to make your own decadently stuffed waffles and is just a great unique kitchen gadget to get someone. So, if you know someone that’s obsessed with waffles, then this is a great original gift idea. The only thing you need to keep in mind is that is takes up quite some space, so don’t give it to someone with a tiny kitchen.
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After scrolling through this cooking gift guide for home cooks, I hope you have found the present to give. Otherwise, you can use this list of gift ideas for home cooks as a great starting point to find other items that are based on one of the ideas shown here.
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