The Best Kitchen Gifts for Holiday Shopping

The holiday season has officially arrived, which means it’s time to get shopping! Gift-giving can be A LOT of fun for some people, but for others, it can end up being a stressful experience. Choosing the perfect gift for a cherished friend, or trying to find something special for a family member who is hard to shop for, can be overwhelming. That’s why I put together a list of the best kitchen gifts for the people in your life who love to cook, and I included a few items for the home as well!

The best kitchen gifts for foodies include high-quality cookware and cooking tools. I’ve included many of the items I use in my kitchen, including the BEST cookie scoops, which I use to make my chocolate chip cookies, and home finds from businesses big and small that would make anybody’s home more comfortable and stylish. Check out my ideas for the best gifts for home and kitchen, and have a great holiday season! 

1. For the One Who is an Accomplished Baker: Jupiter Beaded Glass Cake Stand

This elegant cake stand from Pottery Barn gives your loved one’s carefully crafted cakes the stage they deserve. The Jupiter Beaded Glass Cake stand is wider than your average cake stand (at 13 inches in diameter), allowing for extra room to store a batch of cupcakes, brownies, muffins, and more. It comes in three different colors, including fun options such as pink and blue, and a large dome for better storage. 

2. For the One Who Shops at the Farmers’ Market: Williams-Sonoma Market Tote 

The Williams-Sonoma Market Tote makes lugging your farmers market haul A LOT easier. This is thanks to the bag’s thick canvas material, its six separate compartments that allow for even weight distribution, and its reinforced base, which helps keep your produce in place while unpacking. Your farmers-market-loving friend will appreciate the comfort this design brings and will feel more at ease that delicate items such as lettuce and tomatoes are no longer getting crushed by olive oil or wine bottles. 

3. For the One Who Loves to Bake: KitchenAid Artisan Series 5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer

The iconic KitchenAid Stand Mixer is the BEST electric mixer for making large batches of delectable baked goods, including my grandma’s perfectly homemade bread, sweet potato rolls, and quick, 45-minute cinnamon rolls. It’s also versatile; you can purchase different attachments, such as an ice cream mixing bowl, a meat grinder, a juicer, and a pasta roller. Given this, as well as its incredible performance and proven longevity, the KitchenAid would make a great gift for both beginning and seasoned home bakers. 

4. For the One Who Bakes Bundts: Nordic Ware Gold Heritage Bundt Pan

One of the BEST kitchen gifts you can get from a cake maker is a great Bundt pan. This popular Nordic Ware Bundt pan features a striking, swirled mold that would be perfect for making my carrot Bundt cake and pumpkin Bundt cake. The pan is also made of coated cast aluminum, allowing for even heat distribution, can accommodate up to six cups of batter, and with its neutral design, works for both holiday baking and other year-round celebrations. 

5. For the One Who Makes Sunday Waffles: Ninja Belgian Waffle Maker PRO NeverStick

Homemade waffles are so much better than store-bought, and my family and I LOVE making them together. Waffle lovers and breakfast enthusiasts alike will appreciate the Ninja waffle maker for its five-shade settings. Not to mention that it can handle sugary batters such as cake mixes and brownies. Plus, with its vertical design, it takes up less counter space than horizontal models and produces fewer messes. 

6. For the Pastry Chef: Ateco Pastry Bag Decorating Kit

I LOVE using Ateco’s piping products. They’re affordable and durable, and the brand has every kind of piping tip needed for baking cookies. I love using it for my Danish butter cookies, and decorating desserts, like my hummingbird cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. This decorating kit, which includes two reusable nylon piping bags and six piping tips, is one of the best kitchen gifts for any baker. Especially one just embarking on their dessert-decorating journey. 

7. For the One Who Wants Easier Food Prep: Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor

One of the BEST kitchen gifts you can get from any home cook is the coveted Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor. This appliance does all the work for you: it chops, blends, purees, and grates cheese and vegetables in minutes! This saves you precious time when putting your family’s meal together. 

8. For the One Who Loves Fresh Herbs: Barnyard Designs Indoor Herb Garden Planter Set 

This super cute, farmhouse-style planter set gives you the ability to grow your own herbs indoors. Made by Barnyard Designs, a small business that sells affordable, high-quality home goods, the planter set is small enough to fit on a kitchen window sill and comes with a tray that helps with collecting water and allows for easier transport. Your giftee will thoroughly enjoy watching their herbs grow and using the fresh herbs to make recipes like my buttery herb sauteed mushrooms.

9. For the One Who Loves Sentimental Gifts: Memorable Moments Custom Photo Art 

One of the most impactful gifts you can give is one that’s tied to lots of memories. This polished photo collage allows gift givers to choose up to 18 meaningful photos for their giftees, whether they’re snapshots from a recent family vacation or a collection of them with loved ones from years past. Minted also gives you the option to choose from several print sizes and frame styles and offers UV-protected plexiglass (very good for preventing fading from the sun). 

10. For the One Who Meal Plans: Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker

This gets dinner on the table FAST. Whether you’re a busy, single professional or a parent with multiple mouths to feed, everyone will appreciate this incredibly versatile kitchen appliance. I use this to cook recipes such as lemon garlic chicken and beef stroganoff, as well as other meat and veggie dishes when I’m short on time. This Instant Pot comes with 13 program options, ranging from making rice to yogurt, can serve up to six people, and has more than 10 safety features like overheat protection and a safe-locking lid, the latter of which is essential if you have kids who like to spend time with you in the kitchen. 

11. For the One Who Bakes: JK Adams French Tapered Rolling Pin 

This JK Adams product is the BEST for rolling out dough. The rolling pin is easy to maneuver, simple to maintain (hand wash only!), and super long (20.5 inches, to be exact), making it easy to roll out recipes such as my grandma’s perfect pie crust and my easiest homemade pizza. It’s also pretty to look at; each rolling pin is made of a beautiful American hardwood that also happens to be sustainably sourced. 

12. For the One Who Cooks Cozy Stews: Le Creuset 7.5-Quart Dutch Oven

One of the best kitchen gifts for chefs is the iconic Le Creuset Dutch Oven, which you can use to make a variety of dishes, including bread, sweet treats such as a peach or apple cobbler, big-batch stews, my coq au vin, and more. These enameled cast iron Dutch ovens offer great heat retention, can be safely transferred from stovetop to oven, and come in a kaleidoscope of eye-catching colors. This is perfect for any keen home cook who is seeking one piece of cookware that they can cook everything in, and that will also last a lifetime. 

13. For the One Who Misses Home: Claudia Pearson City Tea Towels

I LOVE supporting small businesses, which is why I’m happy to share these unique and fun tea towels by Claudia Pearson, an illustrator who is part of West Elm’s Local program which helps designers and artists grow their businesses. These tea towels feature 20 big cities from many different regions in the U.S., including Palm Springs, Savannah, Denver, Austin, Boston, and New Orleans. Get your friend a tea towel from their city, which can act as both kitchen decor and a means to clean up messes. 

14. For the One Who is a Little Spicy: Peugeot Paris u’Select Pepper Mill

Freshly ground pepper is better than pre-ground pepper the same way that homemade waffles are better than the store-bought versions. Peugeot is the leading brand in the pepper mill world, making mills that offer six grind settings, from extra fine to very coarse, and strong steel grinders. It can also handle coriander seeds and other varieties of peppercorns such as white and red on their own, as well as pink peppercorns when part of a variety. 

15. For the One Who Makes Cookies: Williams-Sonoma Piazza Ice Cream and Cookie Scoop

Anyone who makes cookies on the regular would LOVE these cookie scoops from Williams-Sonoma. These Italian-made, stainless steel scoops are much more durable than cheaper versions and produce uniform cookies every time. You can also use them to make perfectly-sized cake pops, Swedish meatballs, and ice cream scoops. 

16. For the One Who is Always Cold: West Elm Brushed Herringbone Throw

Throw blankets are a crowd-pleaser, gift-wise. You can’t go wrong with getting someone a super soft and warm blanket that they can wrap themselves in, whether they’re reading a good book or catching up on their favorite show. This stylish West Elm option offers that cozy experience, as it’s made of 20% wool and is brushed to give it a soft-to-the-touch feel, the latter of which ups the warmth factor. 

17. For the Cook Who Needs a Better Knife: Wüsthof Classic Chef’s Knife

One of the best kitchen gifts you can get home cooks, whether they are novices or experts, is a quality, long-lasting knife. You’ll get that with a Wüsthof knife, a brand that has been making knives for more than 200 years. The Wüsthof Classic Chef’s knife is super sharp, made of durable materials that are corrosion and stain-resistant, and unlike many other knives, comes in fun, pastel color options. 

18. For the One Who Loves Self Care: Zadro Countertop Towel Warmer

This gift is perfect for that friend or family member who goes out of their way to create spa-like experiences for themselves from the comfort of their own home. This towel warmer can accommodate a towel that is 40 by 70 inches and is also a great place to store other personal items that would feel better with warmth, including robes, socks, and towels. You can set the timer between 15 and 60 minutes to warm your things up, and it comes with safety technology that automatically shuts off after an hour of use. 

Prices were accurate at the time of publication.