At first, buying a holiday gift for someone who loves to cook and eat seems easy: Killer cookware, something delicious to eat, or a lifesaving kitchen tool all jump out as obvious choices. But as soon as you start to think specifically about the person you're shopping for, you’ll probably realize it’s more complicated. Serious cooks often have every piece of cookware they need; so you’ll need a gift for people who already own top-notch skillets and Dutch ovens, and we’ve got that. We’ve got gifts for people who like growing their produce as much as they like sautéing it with butter and herbs. We’ve got gifts for people whose hot sauce collection takes up more space than their fridge door can handle. We’ve got gifts for people whose whole personality is the cheese board they bring to the party. And ideas for people who just want to cozy up next to a fire all winter long. We’ve also thought about the gifting situations you’re likely to find yourself in, whether that’s a multigenerational family get together or a holiday party where you barely know the host. We got specific in our gift guides this year, because we know you don’t want to go down as that person who gave generic junk. Find the full list of curated gift ideas for everyone on your list below.
Epicurious Staff Gift Picks
Here we compiled a list of the gifts we’d like to receive this year—and the ones we’re giving to our friends and family. You’ll find baking tools we learned about from pastry pros, coffee machines that fueled us as we wrote a million cooking how-tos this year, and beautiful pieces of servingware that we want for our next dinner party.
Gifts for Every Budget
We compiled some of the best tools and appliances we used this year using the metric that is most important to a lot of us (especially if we have a lot of gifts to give): price. Each price point has genuinely valuable stuff that will be helpful to all kinds of home cooks—inexpensive gifts are absolutely not bad gifts. For less than $20 you can get a ginger grater that shreds through the root with ease. Our under $50 list offers our food editor’s favorite rice cooker, and for less than $100 you can get our all-time favorite portable espresso machine. And all of that is just the start.
Gifts for the Whole Family
These are our recommendations for your mom, who needs a quicker way to caffeinate in the morning; for your dad, who always cooks you the best weekend breakfasts; for your siblings, whether they want a dog but would settle for caring for a cast-iron skillet, or they love to nerd out on hydration levels for bread. And we’ve got gift recommendations for grandparents, which, let’s face it, you need, because you’ve always just let your parents put your name on the card for their holiday gift—and this year they deserve better.
Gifts for Every Kind of Caffeine Lover
Find gifts for coffee devotees of all kids: pour-over enthusiasts, pod coffee people, and the espresso obsessed. And find gifts for the friend who savors a cup of Earl Grey in the morning, or sucks down a cup of bubble tea in the afternoon.
Gifts for Bakers
Two and a half years on from peak-pandemic tinkering, sourdough starter nursing, and flour hoarding, you likely have at least one friend who has taken their baking hobby to new heights. You know, the one who’s texting you cross-section pictures of the layer cake they made last weekend, or who’s up at odd hours to proof dough. So what to get all these committed bakers this holiday season? You can always give them a (classic?) bouquet of flours, but we’ve got a few more ideas that’ll ensure you stay on top of their baked good delivery list.
Gifts Based on What Someone Loves to Eat
Whether it’s a dietary choice like vegetarianism or just an unwavering love of ice cream, choosing a gift for someone based on what they eat is a safe direction to take. A tofu press, for example, could improve your vegan or vegetarian friend’s cooking life immediately. And a number of specialty chocolates and ice creams we tasted this year will impress even the most committed dessert snobs. Check out all that and more below.
Gifts for the Entertainer
For the person who loves to throw dinner parties or big brunches, you can’t do better than a beautiful new piece of servingware. Check out our lists of the best gifts from Etsy—including cozy ceramic mugs, textured table linens, and stunning candleholders. Or, look at our complete list of favorite ceramics to give as gifts this year.
47 Cozy Gifts for Hygge Vibes
We all have one friend who really loves to be cozy. That friend who doesn’t feel sad that the nights are longer and that the weather is colder, because cozying up next to a fire with a cup of cocoa makes them feel all warm and fuzzy inside. For those people, give them the gift of an even cozier vibe this winter: a huge ceramic mug they can wrap their hands around for warmth, a space heater that actually looks like a real fireplace, or a stunning Dutch oven for all of the soups.
Last-Minute Gifts and Stocking Stuffers
So you put your shopping off to the last minute—or you need a few more little things to round out a stocking or a gift basket. We’ve got ideas for presents that will arrive on time and for the little stuff that makes the holiday that much more special.
Gifts for People You Don’t Really Know
If you care at all about good manners, at some point you’re going to have to give a gift out of social obligation—to your boss, your friend’s friend, or your sibling’s new significant other, say. You won’t know the person well, so might be tempted to reach for a gift card in the grocery store checkout line. Stop right there. Read our list of gift ideas for the times when you find yourself completely stumped or in need of an emergency gift for a near-complete stranger.
Gifts for People Who Don’t Want (or Need) More Stuff
We put together these two gift guides knowing there is an important difference between people who don’t need anything else for their kitchen and people who don’t want anything else for their kitchen. The first guide includes creative ideas for people whose cabinets and drawers are already full of tools and gear. We found items that you can still add to their cooking arsenal, so you’ll look like a hero. The second guide is for people who may not have everything—because they don’t like stuff. We’ve got consumables and essentials that even a minimalist will deem worthy of space.
More Gift Ideas
