32 Best Gift Ideas for People Who Love to Cook (or Eat) (2024)

This collection of sauces and spices 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). And the chili crisp is literally good on anything.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Whether you’re sober or sober-curious, why not try out one of the most well-known spirit-freeaperitifs? With this starter pack, you can try all the beverages the brand has to offer.

Soup season is a mind-set. If they love prepping soup year-round, then they need a hand blender in their life and cabinets.

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.

If they are a true coffee snob, they know De’Longhi products are what they need to get the roast they covet.

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.

Because splatters, drips, and splashes are inevitable. This apron from Damson Madder is so cute, though, that they will probably try their best to not be as clumsy.

Nothing says “I love you” like the best Neapolitan pie in the five boroughs.

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.

We’ve participated in white elephants in which the rice cooker is the hot commodity. Grab one for your next holiday party or for yourself.

Fancy oils deserve even fancier bottles, and these are great to house their favorite oils and homemade dressings.

Photo: Courtesy of the Vendors

Nothing says “gifts for foodies” like some fancy olive oil.

Firstleaf is a subscription-based wine service that features wines at accessible prices. Senior shopping editor Bianca Nieves loves to order one and host some friends at her apartment.

If you know, they already have a wine subscription, gift them some wine cups. Our shopping contributor Shanna Shipin and Nieves both recommend the ones from Danny D’s Mud Shop. Handmade in his studio in California, these little cups are shaped similarly to traditional ISO wineglasses and will add a Western flair to their bar cart.

The gift of nice coffee is classic, but how about the gift of Ethiopian beans? Fresher than what you find at grocery stores, this brand sources its beans from a farm that produces fewer than 60 bags per year, so you know this gift is special. Pro tip: The company recommends enjoying this black.

Because what’s more impressive than an electric wine opener?

Whether they are into mocktails or cocktails, this glass set will make their bar cart stand out and their beverages look great even if they taste questionable.

Everyone is obsessed with this chili crunch, so the foodie in your life has to be too. Especially if they like spice and crunch.

Making tofu doesn’t have to be time-consuming and messy. With three adjustable settings that allow you to press different sizes of tofu, your favorite veggie lover will enjoy this tofu press.

Whether they love to host dinner parties or are working on their tablescaping, these scalloped napkins will be easily used.

Fashion news writer Danya Issawi recommends anything from this Brooklyn-based Lebanese market. Stock up on traditional spices and jams, and enjoy its cute décor and packaging.

Whether they prefer to add it to their tea or eat it by the spoonful, this California honey is full of antioxidants and brings a sweet floral finish.

Gelatin is the new food trend, and we’re eating it up … literally. This gift box from Gelée provides everything they need to get creative with gelatin.

With nationwide shipping, anyone who loves chocolate-chip cookies can enjoy these decadent ones from Chip City.

Switch up their bar cart by gifting them this incredibly cute (and savory) bottle of Campante mezcal that will mix great with their cocktail of choice.

No more bodega coffee or spending $8 on a middling latte at the café around the corner. With the Classy Plus Machine, you can easily make yourself a variety of delicious beverages from the comfort of your own home.

More coffee-related gift recommendations, because why not? Nieves has also been into making cold brew and topping it off with Sown’s Organic Oat Creamer.

Deputy culture editor Brooke Marine has always found it tricky to get a good gift for her parents, or at least one that both of them will definitely use. However, she shares that thisKatz’s Delicatessen holiday boxis like the Platonic ideal of a gift that will serve the whole family. If you want to give someone something that youknowfor sure they can’t get anywhere outside New York, the pastrami-on-rye and corned-beef sandwich fixings plus pickles and various dressings and sauces — with some mini black-and-white cookies on the side — will keep them well fed.