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The 32 Best Kitchen and Cookware Gifts for a Home Cook in 2024

Home cooks and food fans will swoon over these giftable pieces of kitchen hardware.

David Watsky Senior Editor / Home and Kitchen
David lives in Brooklyn where he's spent more than a decade covering all things edible, including meal kit services, food subscriptions, kitchen tools and cooking tips. Since earning a BA in English from Northeastern in Boston, he's toiled in nearly every aspect of the food business, including as a line cook in Rhode Island where he once made a steak sandwich for Lamar Odom. Right now, he's likely somewhere stress-testing a blender or researching the best way to make bacon. Anything with sesame is his all-time favorite food this week.
Expertise Kitchen tools, appliances, food science, subscriptions and meal kits.
David Watsky
10 min read
$129 at BlenderCap
portable blender set
Cruz BlenderCap
A better portable blender
$399 at Lomi
The Lomi composter about to eat a banana peel
Lomi countertop composter
For a greener kitchen
$17 at Amazon
fluicer juicing lemon into bowl
Fluicer
The best handheld citrus juicer ever
$65 at Amazon
molcajete and basket
Molcajete
A staple Mexican masher
$175 at Amazon
cast iron skillet
Lancaster cast-iron skillet
Not-so-heavy metal
$115 at Amazon
tiger rice cooker
Tiger rice cooker
Perfect basmati every time
See at Blue Apron
Steak dinner
Blue Apron meal kits
Dinner in a box
$149 at Amazon
aarke water filter pitcher
Aarke pitcher
Upgrade your filter pitcher
$175 at ButcherBox
packages of steaks
ButcherBox Steak Lover's Box
Beef on beef
$75 at Amazon
bottle of DOP balsamic vinegar
Aged balsamic from Modena
Spring for D.O.P. if you're feeling fancy
$130 at Amazon
breville blender and attachements
Breville Control Grip
A sleek stick blender
$23 at Macy's
Meat thermometer in roasted chicken
Oxo meat thermometer
An easy read
See at Bokksu Market
pantry staples
Japanese pantry staples
Flavors from the Far East
$75 at Amazon
lodge paella pan
Lodge carbon-steel paella pan
For festive feasting
See at Mosaic Foods
mosaic foods meals
Mosaic Foods vegan meals
A break from cooking
$287 at Amazon
le creuset dutch oven round on table
Le Creuset 3.5-quart round Dutch oven
Fancy french cookware
$42 at Macy's
carving set
Laguiole carving set
A proper slice for hosting
$34 at Amazon
wars-board.png
Star Wars cheese board set
May the force brie with you
See at Riviera Seafood Club
riviera
Riviera Seafood Club
A gorgeous hunk of sushi-grade fish
$142 at Amazon
mac-mighty.png
Mac Professional Series 8-inch chef's knife
A Japanese-style chef's knife
$209 at Amazon
aarke.png
Aarke water carbonator
At-home seltzer maker with style
$70 at Amazon
screen-shot-2021-11-18-at-8-24-55-pm.png
Elevated cocktail shaker
A better shake
$60 at Dreamfarm
dreamfarm.png
Dreamfarm kitchen tools
Why didn't we think of these?
$13 at Amazon
chili crisp jars and pig spoon
Sichuan chili crisp
A condiment to obsess over
$49 at Amazon
boos-board.png
John Boos maple block
A better budget board
See at RawSpiceBar
rawspicebar.jpg
RawSpiceBar subscription
A new spice each month to play with
$109 at Made In
made-in.png
Made In carbon-steel frying pan
For a better sear
$299 at Ooni
ooni karu
Ooni Karu pizza oven
For at-home pizza and so much more
$170 at Vermicular
A Vermicular frying pan and lid against a plain background.
Vermicular frying pan
A lighter cast-iron skillet
$98 at Amazon
nano.png
Anova Nano
For French technique
See at Fulton Fish Market
fish
A delivery of fresh seafood
For a fishy foodie
$25 at H&M
candle holder on table
Stoneware candlestick (Update: Out of stock)
A modern touch for the table

If you're shopping for a gift for someone who's really into food and cooking, consider yourself lucky. There are loads of great kitchen and cookware gifts that will help them knock out that next amazing meal. But finding the best gift for the culinary curious takes some thought. Seasoned chefs often have much of the cookware they need, so buying them a new chef's knife or a sturdy Dutch oven may not be the right move. For those types, you might consider an extra-special ingredient such as a delivery of premium beef, fresh fish or interesting spices to play around with.

To help you nail down the perfect present for a kitchen warrior, we've gathered more than two dozen of the best gifts out there for home chefs -- both new and experienced -- so you're sure to find that perfect something. (For more kitchen gift ideas, check out our picks for the 11 kitchen buys that are worth the extra money and slick kitchen gifts under $25.)

Cruz

This isn't the first portable blender ever made, but it might be the most powerful. This blender is chargeable so you can take it anywhere and use it without a cord. If it looks like an Apple product, that's because a team of former engineers from the tech giant are behind this sleek new kitchen gadget.

Justin Tech/CNET

If you've tried traditional compost but can't handle the smell, a Lomi will make green living much easier. It's shocking how much organic waste goes into the trash bin and landfill, but not with Lomi. This small countertop machine turns egg shells, rinds, coffee grinds and other food scraps into sweet soil for the yard or garden.

Dreamfarm

Earlier this year, I discovered the Fluicer, and my home citrus-juicing will never be the same. Most clamshell juicers kind of suck, but this bend-and-squeeze version gets nearly every bit of juice from a lemon, lime or orange wedge. There are three sizes, but I'm partial to the medium, yellow Fluicer, which is sturdy enough to juice the dickens out of lemons and limes. Read my full review of the Fluicer here.

Verve Culture

Few serving vessels get more compliments than the mighty molcajete. Use the bowl to make and serve fresh salsa and guacamole, and the hand-woven basket for storing the molcajete but also for serving chips or warm tortillas on taco night. 

Lancaster

You can't go wrong with a $30 Lodge skillet, but if you're looking to splurge on some luxury cast iron, Lancaster's lighter 10.5-inch pan is a thing of beauty. It weighs in at 4.5 pounds, a full pound lighter than most cast-iron skillets of this size.

David Watsky/CNET

There isn't a small kitchen appliance that I use more than a rice cooker. In our testing, this $25 Oster model did excellent. For a more giftable version with fancy features and a sleek look, I recommend Tiger's 5.5-cup rice cooker. It has a special setting for brown rice and doubles as a slow cooker and steamer.

David Watsky/CNET

If the person you're buying for could use a lift in the kitchen, a few weeks of handy meal kits will do the trick. Blue Apron is one of the best meal kit services we tested with fancy bistro steak and fresh seafood options included in a basic subscription. Not only is it great value, but recipes are easy to execute and often take less than 30 minutes.

Aarke
Sizes available 80 ouncesPitcher cost $25Replacement filter cost $20 for three

This stylish, Swedish water purifier is great at removing dissolved solids and looks fabulous doing it. What's not to love?

ButcherBox

ButcherBox is known for sending premium cuts of beef that are 100% grass-fed, grass-finished and humanely raised to satisfy even the choosiest carnivores. Most customers choose a subscription that can be canceled or paused easily, but you can also gift someone a one-time send like the Steak Lover's Box. This collection of cuts includes two 10-ounce rib eyes, two 10-ounce NY strips, two six-ounce filets and four six-ounce top sirloin steaks for $175.

Supermarket Italy

The production of D.O.P. balsamic vinegar is about as tightly regulated as any other food. Crafted in small batches in Modena, Italy using special grapes, a meticulous aging process (12 years minimum in wooden barrels), this "liquid gold" is as sweet, complex and flavorful as it gets. 

All this careful production comes at a cost -- it's much cheaper if you go to the source -- but you can lay a small bottle on someone for $75 and it should last a while. Just don't let them waste it on sauces or salad dressings. This special balsamic is meant to be used sparingly to finish pasta, risotto or served solo with bread and cheese. 

Breville

Immersion blenders are one kitchen tool that even some seasoned home cooks don't have in their arsenal -- but they should. For pureed soups and sauces, a stick blender is far easier than trying to transfer hot ingredients to an upright blender. Breville's Control Grip model is the best one I tested, with tons of power and a sleek and sturdy build.

Oxo

If you're going to cook expensive steaks (see above) you'll want to make sure you nail the internal temperature. Oxo's simple precision digital thermometer gives an instant read between -40 F and 302 F and costs just $23. 

Bokksu Market

For someone who likes to toy around and tinker in the kitchen, a bundle of interesting pantry staples is about as good a gift as they could hope for. Bokksu sells loads of Japanese pantry staples including misos, chili crisps, spice mixes and plenty of snacks, too. Snatch a preassembled bundle or curate your own for the home chef on your list.

Lodge

Making paella at home is fun and much easier than you might think, but you need the right pan if you plan on serving a group. This excellent 15-inch carbon steel pan from Lodge is reserved for those with kitchen space to store it although it's not nearly as heavy as it appears (remember, it's carbon steel and not cast iron). It also looks darn good hanging from a cookware rack. 

Pair it with some quality saffron-seasoned salt, saffron threads or paella spice blend and wait for your invitation to paella night to roll in.

Mosaic Foods

Sometimes the best gift you can give a busy home chef is a night or two off from cooking. If you're looking for a great gift to send from afar, Mosaic Foods' inventive plant-based meals are my pick. It's one of the best prepared meal services I've tasted and the brand allows for easy gifting. You can send six meals (four servings each) for under $100 or create your own custom box. 

Read my full review of Mosaic Foods

Le Creuset

If a chef on your gift list is short a Dutch oven, Le Creuset's 3.5-quart round Dutch is a no-brainer. They'll praise you every time they bust out this elegant and durable pot for making a slow sauce, braise or soup. These luxury French pots can cost upwards of $500 so $279 for the 3.5-quart (a good size for cooking for two or three) is a proper steal.

Laguiole

While you might not use it at every meal and a good chef's knife works in a pinch, having a proper carving knife is a total chef's kiss when you need it. Laguiole's elegant carving knife and fork set is feast-ready.

If you're a Star Wars fan who happens to love cheese, this Death Star cheese board and toolset feels like an absolute must-have. The cheese board is made from eco-friendly rubberwood with over 81 inches of serving space. The swivel top opens up to storage for four stainless steel cheese tools: a cleaver for crumbly cheese; a planer for hard cheese; a fork-tipped knife; and a classic hard cheese knife and spreader.

Riviera Seafood Club

There are the gifts we think people want and the gifts they definitely want. An absolutely beautiful piece of sushi-grade tuna belly is the latter for a foodie, I promise. If you're looking to give a special piece of tuna belly, hamachi or yellowtail, I suggest this family-owned online seafood purveyor based out of Los Angeles. The Ito family procures some of the best high-end sushi-grade fish, along with more common catches like wild salmon, prawns and unagi. 

Riviera ships fresh or flash-frozen fish to all 50 states and Washington, D.C., and most of it is sashimi-grade, meaning you can slice and eat -- no cooking necessary.

Shun

Unless the foodie on your list is extremely well-versed in knives, they likely own a Western chef's knife by default. Those heavier, bulkier knives are great for workhorse chopping but a lighter Japanese-style knife like this Mac blade -- our top pick for the best Japanese chef's knife in 2024 -- is better for intricate cuts, fine slicing, dicing and chiffonading. I certainly think it's worthwhile to have both a Western and Japanese knife in your collection.

Aarke

Making seltzer at home is a good idea. It'll save you money and keep loads of cans from clogging up the recycling system. Plus, no more lugging them out to the curb. SodaStream is the most well-known brand, but Aarke has the plastic seltzer makers beat big-time when it comes to style. The Aarke carbonator is made from stainless steel and comes in both shiny and matte finishes.

It also uses the same SodaStream CO2 canisters, which are easy to find and have a great exchange program that'll only cost you $15 per bottle.

Huckberry

The cocktail shaker has been around for a long time but it's been short on innovation. This elevated shaker from Huckberry is double-walled so your hands don't freeze and has a no-stick lid so you're not pounding it around the kitchen like a maniac to get into your drink. It's also large enough to make four drinks at once.

It might just be the perfect shaker. 

Dreamfarm

I've had a fun time playing with Dreamfarm's innovative cooking utensils, most of which make me think, "Duh, why didn't I think of that?" I especially love the silicone serving spoon that twists into a ladle and rests on a hinge so it doesn't need a spoon rest to keep from dirtying up the counter. I also like the Chopula, a spatula with one sharp edge so you can chop things up that are already in the pan. 

Snag a fun and colorful set of five Dreamfarm kitchen utensils for $70. The foodie on your list will definitely thank you, and wonder why they didn't think of these.

Fly by Jing

The chili crisp obsession has reached a true fever pitch in my home, and I'm not the only one. Lao Gan Ma chili crisp has been around far longer than most and this crunchy, slightly spicy, sweet umami bomb adds incredible flavor dimension to blank-slate foods, including eggs, chicken, fish, veggies and lots more. 

Grab a few $6 jars to hand out to anyone you know who likes to cook (or eat, for that matter). Or snag two with an adorable pig spoon (yup, it's amazing on pork) for serving for $21 on Amazon.

John Boos & Co.

If you're looking for something at a more wallet-friendly price, you can't really go wrong with a Boos. This 16x11-inch maple block is light enough to fling around the kitchen, but maple will last a while if you care for it properly. This is perhaps more of a workhorse than a showpiece, but any home chef will appreciate it for many chops to come.

RawSpiceBar

This is another gift for a foodie or home chef that's about as foolproof as it gets. Every chef uses spices, but sometimes we're limited by region or a meager selection at the grocery store. RawSpiceBar opens up a world of exciting spice blends for less than $15 per month, sending freshly ground global spice mixtures to your giftee's home along with recipe ideas to try them with.

You can give a one-, three-, six-, nine- or 12-month subscription or buy a gift card for the person on your list.

Made In

You may need different types of cookware depending on what you're making and the results you're after. For searing steaks, burgers, pork chops and other meats, it's hard to beat carbon steel. For one, it holds heat well, getting and staying hotter than Hades, but it's also lighter than cast iron, so you can maneuver it over the stovetop easily. Pair this sleek pan with a box of quality cuts of meat from one of our favorite online butchers.

Ooni

I am a big fan of the at-home pizza oven. Not just for pizza but for all sorts of meal-making when you don't want to turn the oven on. You can cook burgers, fish, veggies and lots more in very little time since these ovens get up to 900 degrees. And with its sleek, modern design, the Ooni Koda would make a stylish, as well as delicious, addition to anyone's backyard space.

Vermicular

The Vermicular cast-iron skillet is a wonder to behold and perhaps the best piece of cookware I discovered this year. The Japanese cookware company managed to create a skillet that holds heat just about as well as thick cast iron but weighs a fraction; a 10-inch pan is just 2.4 pounds. 

The skillet is also very nice to look at if not just a tad fussier to care for than the classic cast iron. It's not a budget buy -- $170 for the pan and another $45 for the striking lid -- but it's one of those kitchen splurges I believe is completely worth the money.

Amazon

Sous vide is the perfect gadget for a food nerd. This water bath cooking method requires little technical skill and produces excellent results and consistently tender chicken, steak and fish filets.

Fulton Fish Market

Unless you live close to the docks, the easiest way to get quality seafood may be via one of these great online fish purveyors. Fulton Fish Market has one of the best selections anywhere -- web or otherwise -- with loads of wild salmon, trout, scallops, shellfish, caviar and more for unique edible gifts a food lover will enjoy. Snatch a bundle and have this unique gift delivered directly to your giftee's home. They'll certainly appreciate making one less trip to the market.

Catch the best seafood delivery services of 2024.

H&M

If you suspect the home chef you're shopping for has the kitchen gear covered, consider something to add some ambiance to the dinner table. This modern stoneware stick candle holder from H&M is just the thing and can be had for just $25.

If this doesn't match the vibe, you can scroll through dozens of unique candlesticks on Etsy until you find a perfect fit.