The Top Gifts for People Who Love to Cook

Garlic is a very common ingredient in cooking, but it can be time-consuming and fiddly to mince garlic cloves for a recipe. (Not to mention, the smell of garlic can be hard to get off your hands.) This garlic press makes mincing garlic a snap, and it’s easy to clean, too!

OXO Good Grips Garlic Press

These clever reusable “dishes” are made of 100% silicone and can replace single-use plastic zip bags, making them environmentally friendly. They’re freezer-, microwave-, and dishwasher-safe. They can be used for meal prep, storage, and serving.

Zip Top Dish Set

Hand blenders (aka immersion blenders) are super versatile tools for whipping cream, pureeing soup, making sauces and dressings, mixing up batters, and so much more. This multi-speed cordless model can blend 25 bowls of soup on a single charge and comes with a blending jar and lid, too.

KitchenAid Cordless Variable Speed Hand Blender

A food processor is another extremely versatile appliance for the kitchen. You can make doughs, dips, and sauces, chop veggies, shred cheese, and much more. This model comes with dishwasher-safe parts, has a 9-cup capacity, and features preset programs, making it even faster and more convenient to use.

Ninja Professional Advanced Food Processor

A wok is a versatile addition to any cook’s pan collection. While woks are most associated with preparing Asian stir-fry dishes, they can also be used to steam, boil, smoke, deep fry, and more. The unique Hexclad material of this pan makes it oven- and dishwasher-safe, scratch-resistant, non-toxic, and non-stick.

Hexclad 12” Hybrid Wok with Lid

A spatula is a must-have kitchen tool for cooks of all skill levels. This set of two (one with a flat design, one with a curved design) is dishwasher safe and heat safe to 450 F.

Anolon SureGrip Spatula and Spoonula Set

Aspiring chefs can learn a lot from Martha Stewart. She’s packed a ton into her Cooking School: Lessons and Recipes for the Home Cook cookbook. It explains different cooking methods like sauteing, braising, and poaching; teaches techniques like trussing a chicken; and includes 200 recipes. It’s a fantastic resource for new (and even not-so-new) cooks.

Martha Stewart’s Cooking School Cookbook

Called “The Must Haves,” this two-piece knife set includes a large, 8-inch chef’s knife and a smaller, 4-inch paring knife to handle everyday kitchen tasks. Zwilling is known for its high-quality knives. You can expect this set to last a long time.

Zwilling Twin Signature 2-Piece Knife Set

These smaller, nonstick frying pans are a great gift for the chef who’s just starting out. Green Pan’s ceramic coating is free of PFAs and PFOA that are found in other well-known nonstick brands. They’re dishwasher safe and oven safe up to 320 F.

Green Pan Smartshape Ceramic Nonstick Frypan Set

A great saucepan is another kitchen essential, and this stainless steel pan from 360 Cookware features its signature 360 Vapor seal lid for vapor cooking. The domed lid fits on the pan so that it creates a tight seal, allowing steam to build up inside. Steaming allows you to cook without additional oil for healthier meals.

360 Cookware 1.75 Quart Saucepan with Cover

Many a waffle maker has ended up donated to the local thrift store or forgotten in the corner of a kitchen cupboard. It seems to be one of those appliances people think they’ll use, but then they never do. So what makes this waffle maker different? It’s mini! This adorable waffle maker cooks up 4” waffles in just minutes for a fun twist on breakfast. It’s small and lightweight, so it takes up very little room and it’s not a pain to set up. Plus, its nonstick surface makes it easy to clean. Even the cook who has everything doesn’t (yet) have this!

Dash Mini Waffle Maker

This electric can opener is a convenient and time-saving gadget for any chef. It’s especially great for people who find it challenging to use a regular can opener, whether due to arthritis, loss of strength, or other issues affecting dexterity.

Hamilton Beach SmoothTouch Can Opener with Scissors

Growing your own herbs, salad greens, and produce indoors can take your cooking to the next level, and it’s a lot of fun, too! This indoor garden comes with a built-in 20W LED grow light that helps plants grow up to five times faster than in soil and has space for up to six separate plants.

AeroGarden Harvest Slim Indoor Garden

The cook who has everything needs a place to put hot serving dishes, and this pig-shaped trivet is it. Made with ceramic that’s hand-painted in Aurora, New York, this 10”x6” trivet is a whimsical yet very practical gift.

MacKenzie-Childs Courtly Check Pig Trivet

An enamel-coated, cast iron Dutch oven from Le Creuset is something that many cooks dream of and drool over for years but never buy. Yes, there are other great Dutch ovens out there, but there’s no substitute for this iconic piece of cookware. This gift is definitely a splurge – one the recipient will surely love and remember!

Le Creuset Round Dutch Oven