Calling all friends of foodies and relatives of home chefs! Rounding up the best gifts for home cooks to make your loved ones feel extra special this year! Everything from the best sponges for stocking stuffers to heirloom-quality cast-iron cookware, plus some handy gadgets in between.
1. Aerogarden Indoor Hydroponic Herb Garden // 2. The BEST Spatula Ever // 3. Favorite Anti-Bacterial Double-Sided Kitchen Sponge // 4. Le Creuset Enamel-Coated Dutch Oven // 5. Magnetic Knife Wall Bar // 6. OXO Pop Kitchen Storage Set // 7. Compact Fresh Pasta Maker // 8. All-Clad Stainless Steel Skillet // 9. Pyrex Measuring Cup Set // 10. Food Theory & Cookbooks (see below) // 11. Kate Spade Pot Holder // 12. Essential Cast Iron Skillet
Welcome to my favorite gift guide to make each year! Cooking is a helpful (and tasty) stress-reliever so my husband and I found ourselves in the kitchen a lot more this year. Every person is different, but I wanted to highlight a few of my favorite gifts for home cooks and foodies below:
Food Theory & Cookbooks
You can never have too many of these! Even if you don’t love following recipes step-by-step or already have cookbooks from your favorite celebrity chefs, food and cooking theory books make a great addition to any kitchen shelf.
- Everyday Cook by Alton Brown – Pioneer of food science television and Iron Chef live commentator, AB really knows his way around the kitchen to make great tasting food
- Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat – The four components of amazing food. Think of this book as your training guide to become The Avatar, master of all four elements
- How to Cook Everything – EVERYTHING you could want to make and a handful of variations to keep things interesting
- The Food Lab by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt – A scientific approach to improving your home cooking – perfect for science cooking nerds
- BraveTart: Iconic American Desserts by Stella Parks – Stella, from Serious Eats, is super passionate about baking. This book is a combination of baking favorites like cookies and cakes and elevated takes on American classics like Oreos and Twinkies
AeroGarden
Fresh herbs make a world of difference in recipes. The AeroGarden is a simple and almost fool-proof way to have your own herb garden right in the kitchen. To customize your gift for its recipient, there’s a large assortment of different pods, from tomatoes and peppers to salad greens and Italian herbs. Plus, the hydroponic system prevents them from stressing too much about over-watering their garden.
Cast-Iron Cookware
Kitchen staple AND can be passed down for generations? Bingo – cast-iron cookware make amazing gifts for home cooks. A hefty Dutch Oven is perfect for roasting chickens, cooking stews, or baking bread. Le Creuset is the gold standard for Dutch Ovens; however, many brands have their own versions of the enamel-coated cast-iron dutch oven. Check out Hearth & Hand or Cuisinart for more affordable options.
In addition to that, a traditional cast iron skillet is something everyone should cook with (at least once!). It heats evenly so you can get a perfect sear on anything, can be heated hotter than traditional pans, and is non-stick when properly seasoned! Anything from steaks to fried chicken and skillet pizza to peach cobbler. Oh, and did I mention this baby can be cooked over an open fire – perfect for camping!