20 Gifts for People Who Like to Cook

When people think about cooking, they usually consider it a fulfilling hobby to show how much you love your family and friends, or it’s viewed as an annoying necessity for eating on a budget. If you fall in the first camp or are looking for the perfect gift for someone who loves to cook, look no further than this comprehensive list of culinary must-haves.

For the Holiday Host

We all know a cook who hosts every family holiday (or maybe you are that host). What better way to thank them for their hard work than giving them the perfect host gift? From beautiful wood serving boards to handy stemless wine glasses, read on to discover your ideal host gift.

Wood Serving Board

Who doesn’t love a good wood serving board? It’s the perfect vessel for appetizers or cheese and meat spreads. A high-quality wood serving board will give the hard-working host what they really want – beautiful presentation points. If you’ve got some time before you plan to gift the serving board, you can add an extra special detail like personalizing the board with an important date or their name.

These boards make great gifts for the holidays, as a thank you gift, and for couples who just bought a new home or got married.

Serving Utensils

Every host needs a good serving utensils set, and this one from Public Goods is not only pretty, but it’s also eco-friendly. These spoons are made from sustainably grown acacia wood and are made to last, and the holiday host will never have to bear the humiliation of mix-matched serving spoons.

Stemless Wine Glasses

Stemless wine glasses are the perfect gift for cooks who like to drink wine while they work (who doesn’t?). Stemless glasses are great for hosts who regularly have company over and don’t want to risk a guest spilling any delicious wine.

Stemless wine glasses are inexpensive but also a fancy, useful housewarming gift for people who like to cook and entertain.

Ramekins

Ramekins are the must-have for any home cook who wants to impress their guests with a few extra presentation points. Ramekins are just the right size for souffles, dipping sauces, and individual desserts. Typically made from ceramic, ramekins can be safely used in the oven.

Serving Stand

Serving stands are a classic way to display a variety of desserts or mini sandwiches. Gifting the host in your life a serving stand will make their life a little easier by having only one display to make space on the table for and clean up. Choose a collapsable stand that can be easily stored for the next big gathering.

For the Health-Conscious Cook

Eco-friendly and healthy gifts for people who like to cook are in no short supply these days. Many large and small companies are focusing more on creating products that are healthier for not only our bodies but also for the planet. Some of the best cooking gifts make eating healthier a breeze while also being sustainable. From high-end oils and vinegars to a spiralizer you never knew you needed, these are some of the best gifts for people who like to cook healthy.

Oils and Vinegar

An essential staple in any cook’s kitchen is a variety of delicious, high-quality oils and vinegar. Olive oils, grapeseed oils, and balsamic vinegar all make excellent gifts for someone who likes to cook.

For a health-conscious foodie, choose oils and kinds of vinegar that use organic ingredients and hail from countries known for their olive oil like Italy or Spain.

Gourmet Spices

Another essential gift for people who like to cook is a set of gourmet spices. Health-conscious cooks will love a set of organic spices. There are plenty of spices to choose from, and you can gift them in a decorative box.

If you prefer something more unique, get some whole spices and a microplane grinder. Nothing beats the taste of freshly grated seasonings such as nutmeg.

4-Blade spiralizer

Truly one of the best cooking gifts, a spiralizer is perfect for cooks who prefer vegetable pasta over carb-heavy (and delicious) traditional pasta. A spiralizer will make their life easier, cutting prep time by at least half. This 4-blade spiralizer has a slicing functionality to thinly slice fruits and vegetables for pies or quiches. Spiralizers can be used to quickly turn your fruits and vegetables into noodles, chips, crudite slices, and more.

Herb Trio Set

Cooks who like to use fresh herbs in their recipes will love an herb trio set featuring commonly used herbs cilantro, basil, and parsley. The Herb Trio Set from Public Goods is a home cook’s gardening dream. This set includes biodegradable pots and seeds that rest in their own wood window box, so it’s eco and small-space friendly.

Magic Bullet Blender

A Magic Bullet Blender may not seem like a gift for someone who likes to cook, but it’s so much more than a means to make a smoothie. This perfectly sized mini-blender can be used to mix ingredients for soups, pancakes, and brownies easily, you name it! And, of course, it’s ideal for making delicious fruit and veggie smoothies.

For the Practical Cook

Cooking is a fun hobby for many folks, but it’s also one that can take up a lot of space. People who love cooking often have their kitchen cabinets and drawers filled with all kinds of tools they probably never use.

These gifts are perfect for the practical cook who wants to downsize the collection of supplies they have to store and make their lives a bit easier.

Eco-Friendly Cutting Board

A good quality wood cutting board is an excellent gift for the practical cook in your life. Cutting boards are one of the most useful tools in a kitchen, and so naturally they make great gifts for someone who likes to cook. Choose an eco-friendly cutting board made from sustainable wood. Bonus points if the cutting board is also dishwasher safe, because who wants to wash more dishes?

Reusable Food Storage Wraps

Reusable food storage is a sustainable alternative to the traditional plastic wrap you use to cover leftovers. Reusable storage wraps can be easily applied to food containers or directly to loaves of bread, cheeses, vegetables, etc. to keep them fresh and clean. Since these food storage wraps are reusable, they’re better for your wallet and for the planet.

Rectangle Glass Food Storage

The practical cook needs something to keep the masterpiece they just created safely stored in the refrigerator. Choose a set that comes with different containers to meet all their storage and food preparation needs. Plastic food storage containers often contain harmful chemicals, especially when used to microwave food. Glass storage containers are multi-functional and can be used to prepare and reheat food in the microwave or oven.

Cut-Resistant Gloves

Cut-resistant gloves are an excellent gift for new cooks who are a little nervous about their cutting skills. Avoid ruining a mani–or taking a trip to the ER–the next time there’s some serious chopping to do.

Bonus use: In addition to helping prevent slippage while preparing food, these gloves can be used for hobbies like woodworking.

Ceramic Measuring Cups

Treat your favorite cook to some fancy ceramic measuring cups. No more replacing your plastic measuring cups; these beauties are made to last. You can choose a fun pattern or a color theme that matches the cook’s style.

8-in-1 Kitchen Gadget Tool

An 8-in-1 kitchen gadget tool is the perfect gift when you want to make someone’s life a bit easier or at least a bit more organized. This convenient tool is great for a minimalist cook who wants to keep their gadget collection to a minimum.

For the Quirky Gadget Lover

No list of the best cooking gifts would be complete without a collection of unique kitchen tools for the fun-loving cooks in your life. If you are on the hunt for a fun, quirky gift for someone who likes to cook, look no further than this compilation of kitchen gadgets.

These gifts are perfect for cooks who have a sense of humor or enjoy an exciting accessory to add to their cooking arsenal.

Butter & Cheese Saver

For someone who loves to cook, these silicone food savers will be their new BFFs. The silicone butter and cheese savers help keep sticks of butter and blocks of cheese fresher for longer. This kit of food savers comes in 5 different sizes to meet any cook’s food storage needs.

Wool Avocado Ripener

Who hasn’t had a craving for some avocado toast, but when you reach for those magical green fruits, they’re hard as a rock. Fear not, toast lover! These adorable wool avocado ripener socks are the fastest (and most adorable) way to ripen avocados. The warmth naturally occurs from the lanolin and wool, making a little cozy cocoon, speeding up the ripening process.

Silicone Burger Master

This burger-shaping accessory is another one of the best quirky gifts for people who like to cook or barbeque. This silicone tray is perfect for forming burgers or making individual portions of soups, stuffing, baby food, and more. The separate compartments help prevent food from sticking together and make it easy to pop out individual cups to use what you need and freeze the rest.

Cleaning Sponge Gloves

When gifting quirky kitchen gadgets, cleaning sponge gloves are an absolute must. These gloves are designed to protect hands from being exposed to harsh detergents and food odors while also giving dishes a good scrubbing. The gloves are made from silicone, so they’re safe for people with latex allergies.

Bonus use: If the cook your gifting the gloves to has a pet, the gloves can also be used to give their furry friend a good scrubbing. Just make sure to discourage using the same gloves for both chores.

Whisk Wiper

The next time your food lover friend makes a cake batter or a cheesy sauce, they’ll reach for this convenient little gadget. This whisk comes with a wiper that scrapes every last bit of batter or sauce off the top, making cleaning up a breeze. It’s the can’t live without it gadget you never knew you needed.

Conclusion

There’s something so satisfying about finding the perfect gift for someone based on their interests. The best gifts for people who like to cook are practical, pretty, or save time in the kitchen. Luckily, we’ve compiled a collection of the best cooking gifts that check all the boxes.

Whether you’re looking to buy a special gift for a couple, that friend who always hosts, or yourself, there’s no shortage of ideas here. Instead of gifting the cook in your life another bottle of wine or apron, choose one of the gifts mentioned above for a real treat for your food lover.

For more ideas on gifts for food lovers and people who like to cook, check out more from the Public Goods blog.