37 Best Cooking Gifts for the Chef in Your Life in 2023
It can be difficult to figure out the best cooking gifts to get the home chef in your life. Sure, you could give them a fancy knife, but they may already have one. And, yes, a lot of cookware pieces seem convenient or useful, but with so many options out there, how could you possibly know what they’d actually like best? That’s where we come in. We’ve rounded up some of the best foodie gifts that will bring joy to any lucky recipient, including helpful kitchen gadgets, flexible subscriptions, a SELF Fave air fryer, and so much more. If you’d like to get a head start on your holiday shopping (it’s coming up sooner than you think), scroll on for the best cooking gifts worth buying.
For more presents, check out all of the best gift ideas of 2023 here.
All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
- 1
Graza Drizzle & Sizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil
SELF’s food writer loves this olive oil not just for its delicious taste, but also because it comes in a convenient squirt bottle. “It’s so much easier to maneuver than a massive jug, and it allows you to precisely drizzle oil on top of whatever you’re serving. Small things like this can make a huge difference when you’re cooking,” she says. This set also encourages more conscious extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) consumption: It comes with one option for finishing (a super flavorful oil made from young olives) and one for cooking (derived from mature olives that produce more oil, with a more mild taste).
- 2
Our Place Wonder Oven
The SELF Fave Wonder Oven is like having six kitchen gadgets in one, including an air fryer, toaster, broiler, and more. It comes with a non-stick ceramic baking sheet and, like most Our Place products, it’s pretty enough to leave on the countertop.
- 3
Made In Blue Carbon Steel Wok
Crafted with carbon steel, this lightweight wok is great at maintaining even temperatures, similar to a cast iron skillet. It’s also wonderfully nonstick, so your food-loving giftee can whip up large batches of stir fry, fried rice, and stew without too much post-cooking cleanup.
- 4
Lenox Luna Nesting Dinnerware Set
Every home chef knows just how important it is to get their mise en place in order before cooking. These bowls are ideal for that purpose, plus they’re stylish and easy to store.
- 5
Philips Automatic Pasta Maker Plus
Pasta-making is normally a very involved process, but this hands-free gadget does all the hard work of mixing, kneading, and extruding. Simply add flour and water, pick from one of four shaping discs, and let the machine do its thing to make fresh penne, spaghetti, fettuccine, or lasagna.
- 6
Rubirosa Pasta & Vodka Sauce
Speaking of cucina, any cook would be delighted to receive this Rubirosa gift set featuring the brand’s tasty Lumache pasta and signature vodka sauce.
- 7
Yamazaki Home Tosca Cookbook Stand
A stand can prop up your giftee’s favorite cookbook or device, and keep it away from splashes and spills. Home cooks will appreciate that it’s easy to set up and basically weightless—so it’s easy to move around the kitchen—and it has an adjustable shelf to suit thick books and thin tablets alike.
- 8
Home Chef
A meal-delivery kit like the SELF Certified Home Chef gives your culinary-inclined friend a chance to try their hand at all sorts of recipes without having to buy full-size ingredients.
- 9
Lomi Smart Kitchen Composter
The easy-to-use SELF Fave Lomi Kitchen Composter can break down food scraps in as little as three hours. The coolest part? It can compost pretty much anything you eat—toss in fruits, veggies, dairy products, bread, and meat.
- 10
Great Jones Stir Crazy Mixing Bowls
These stackable ceramic mixing bowls, which come in two colorways, are the perfect addition to anyone’s kitchen. Plus, they’re microwave-, freezer-, and dishwasher-safe too.
- 11
Silpat Perfect Cookie Baking Mat
Silpat nonstick mats are durable, extremely versatile, and can eliminate the need for parchment paper. This particular model is marked with 13 evenly spaced cookie outlines to help make dough placement a breeze.
- 12
TofuXpress Tofu Press
Frequent tofu eaters know what a pain it is to squeeze and drain a slab of the soy product. This press is designed with a spring system to help remove any and all liquid without the need for paper towels or excessive physical effort.
- 13
Cuisinart Smokeless Griddle
This smokeless griddle allows your giftee to grill veggies, meat, and more without having to fire up the BBQ. It also has a nifty sear function that can add more flavor and texture to food with just the press of a button.
- 14
Anyday The Everyday Set
These dishes use secure glass lids to perfectly steam-cook salmon dinners, soup, and even banana bread in the microwave. “In basically no time at all, we had an incredible dinner prepared in the microwave. We’ve remade this meal a few times and are just so pleased with how it’s turned out,” wrote SELF’s editor in chief.
- 15
Brightland The Luminous Capsule
This gorgeous kit comes with flavorful cold-pressed olive oil, sweet orange blossom honey, and tangy vinegar made from grapes and juicy oranges. In other words, it’s everything they’ll need to add something special to salads, stews, marinades, and more.
- 16
Spicewalla Kitchen Essentials Collection
This 18-piece spice kit is a cool gift idea for someone who just moved into a new place. It comes with ingredients like cumin seeds, smoked paprika, mustard powder, and whole cloves, so they’ll have everything they need to start prepping meals.
- 17
Smithey Ironware Co. Carbon Steel Oval Roaster
Home cooks will love this rustic roasting pan that doubles as a baking sheet and a serving tray. One key benefit: They can take it straight from the oven to the dinner table, which means less dishwashing to deal with later on.
- 18
Pampered Chef Food Chopper
This gadget is great when cooks need to quickly chop something but don’t feel like doing it by hand. Simply press down on the handle a couple times, and just like that everything is diced.
- 19
The Chili Lab
Homemade Hot Sauce Kit
Complete with spice mixes, reusable glass bottles, a strainer, and a funnel, this homemade hot sauce kit is perfect for DIY enthusiasts who always order the spiciest dish on the menu.
- 20
Studiopatró Cross-Back Linen Kitchen Apron
A useful gift for chefs and bakers alike, this linen apron is equal parts functional and stylish. It has a roomy pocket for holding baking utensils and a loop to hang a dish towel, which helps keep their hands free for cooking.
- 21
Uncommon Goods Handmade Monstera Leaf Spoon Rest
Pick up this adorable handmade monstera leaf spoon rest for the plant lover in your life. It keeps stovetops and counters clean and has an optional grip pad to help keep it from sliding around.
- 22
NoCry Cut Resistant Gloves
If your loved one is a bit clumsy while cooking (or really values kitchen safety), they will be eternally grateful for these gloves that protect against any accidental nicks.
- 23
Williams Sonoma Le Creuset Cast Iron Omelette Pan
Just about any home chef would appreciate a timeless gift from Le Creuset. Though the brand may be best known for iconic dutch ovens, we’re big fans of their cast-iron fry pans, which are great for frying eggs or sautéing veggies for dinner.
- 24
Click & Grow Smart Garden
This self-watering, countertop herb garden keeps fresh thyme, basil, or parsley on hand in the kitchen—so your loved one has convenient access to fresh herbs year round (hello, more flavorful meals).
- 25
Breville Gun Smoke Infuser
For the cookout lover, this cool gadget can impart a smoky, hours-on-the-barbecue flavor to just about anything (steak, pork roast, smoked nuts), in a fraction of the time.
- 26
Uncommon Goods Bread Warming Blanket
This cloth keeps fresh loaves warm and prevents not-so-fresh ones from going stale. Here’s how it works: There’s a removable flax seed-filled pack that you can heat up in the microwave, stick in the pouch with your bread, and then wrap it up.
- 27
Nesco Deluxe Food Vacuum Sealer
They can use this handy vacuum sealer to store bulk meat, cover leftovers, prep for sous vide, and more—the options are endless.
- 28
Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker
A sous vide is the kind of high-tech kitchen tool that foodies will appreciate. It cooks various dishes perfectly—steak, fish, vegetables, eggs—by heating water to a precise temperature that’s set via an app on their phone.
- 29
Nutr
Nut Milk Machine
The SELF Fave Nutr makes plant-based milks in a matter of minutes, which really comes in handy if they have a busy schedule. All your giftee has to do is pour in nuts or grains, add water, and blend for a delicious drink.
- 30
Cafe Du Chateau The Original Glass French Press Coffee Maker
This glass coffee maker has a four-layer filter system, so no grounds seep through. The result: a brew that tastes just as good as a trendy café.
- 31
Fellow Stagg EKG Electric Gooseneck Kettle
Whether they prefer tea or pour-over coffee, this quick-heating, electric kettle helps get the job done—and its elegant design looks great in any coffee station.
- 32
Great Jones Sweetie Pie
Elevate their baking experience with this supercute ceramic pie dish from Great Jones. It has a wide, wavy rim that helps with crust crimping and a retro print that adds flair to any table.
- 33
Food52 Five Two Adjustable Rolling Pin with Measuring Rings
This adjustable rolling pin takes the struggle out of creating the perfect pie crusts, cookies, pastas, and more. Its silicone measuring rings—which slide right on the wooden rod and help map out the exact length and width you need—make rolling out dough a seamless, enjoyable experience.
- 34
Sur La Table Ratchet Mill
This Sur La Table spice grinder features a front-load door that makes refilling oh-so-easy. Drop in salt, pepper, allspice, coriander, and more—then season dishes in seconds.
- 35
Food52 Five Two Silicone Oven Mitts (Set of 2)
Everyone needs oven mitts, so why not go for a stylish set? This pair is made from food-grade silicone, and has both magnets and hanging loops for easy storage.
- 36
Ooni Koda 12 Gas Powered Pizza Oven
Making homemade pizza with a standard oven is often a recipe for disappointment—most options simply don’t create enough heat to achieve a restaurant-quality pie. However, this compact, portable oven can reach temperatures of up to 950 degrees Fahrenheit and fits in just about any outdoor space.
- 37
Sur La Table Cast-Iron Tortilla Press
If your loved one tries (and fails) to flatten corn tortillas with a rolling pin, they’ll get a ton of use out of this press. It’ll take their tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and enchiladas to the next level.
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