40+ Gifts for People Who Love to Cook and Bake
Cater to the chef in your life with these thoughtful gift ideas, from pantry staples to cookbooks to cookware.

Whether your friend or family member has been into cooking for years or if they're new to the cooking world, they'll love kitchen gadgets and accessories that make prepping tasty treats even more enjoyable. Shop our top gift ideas that the cook in your life will use and enjoy for years to come.
PANTRY STAPLES + ACCESSORIES
The secret to being able to whip up delicious meals on any weeknight, no matter if they meal planned or not, is a well-stocked pantry. Elevate their staple ingredients with a set of organic olive oil and apple cider vinegar from women-founded Pineapple Collaborative. The 500 ml of olive oil comes in a display-worthy tin in a few color options designed to protect the olive oil from sunlight. A good chef always needs salt, so gift them a box of quality Maldon salt and pair it with a chic salt cellar, like this one from Oprah's Favorite Things for 2021. Speaking of Oprah, if the person you're shopping for likes to keep it spicy, this Oprah-approved hot sauce from Truff will be an instant hit as well.
COOKBOOKS + RECIPE STORAGE
A new cookbook always makes a great, budget-friendly gift for any home chef, especially if they also like to display cookbooks as decor as I do. Whether they're a beginner looking to develop their skills or are trying to expand their vegetarian dish options, these new 2021 cookbooks would make great additions to their kitchens. If you want to spend a little more, pair it with a cookbook stand, or, if you know they prefer to reference recipes digitally, skip the cookbook and stick to a stand that works for both books and tablets or phones. For a more decorative gift, this fun citrus print recipe box from Kate Spade would make the perfect home for their select favorite family recipes. Personalize the gift by filling out a recipe card or two with some of your favorite recipes to start their collection.
KITCHEN ACCESSORIES
You can't go wrong with a stylish apron like one from Hedley & Bennett. If you're not very familiar with what they already have and don't want to spend too much, a unique and stylish ceramic spoon rest is a great option. Home chefs really can't have too many cutting boards, and we love the stylish anti-microbial boards from Fab Slabs as well as these reBoards from Material that are made from recycled materials and come in several fun colors. This handy oil sprayer is a nifty gadget that allows them to add their preferred cooking oil for spraying without the need to buy those aerosol cans that can't be reused, and they probably don't have one yet. Another nifty gadget that makes cleanup easier and saves counter space is this roll-up silicone drying rack. They can use it for drying dishes or produce, and it rolls up for easy storage.
COOKWARE MUST-HAVES
If you're shopping for a beginner chef who's still building their cookware collection or a seasoned chef who has worn their cookware out and is in need of replacements, you can't go wrong with these staples. Free of PTFE, this non-toxic cookware from Caraway, which is Food Network's pick for best overall non-toxic cookware, consists of non-stick ceramic, aluminum core, & stainless steel handles and is safe to go in the oven up to 550 degrees! Plus, this bundle is available in fun trendy colors and comes with convenient storage for pans and lids for easy organizing. The internet-famous, multi-purpose Always Pan from Our Place, a classic Le Creuset Dutch oven and a budget-friendly Lodge cast-iron pan would also make excellent gifts.
BAKEWARE + ACCESSORIES
If the chef in your life is more into baking than cooking, gift one of these baking essentials like a stylish rolling pin, space-saving two-tier cooling rack or even fun pie stencils so they can make their bakes even more Instagram-worthy.
ECO-CONSCIOUS KITCHEN GIFTS
For the person who's mindful of the environmental impact of our food systems and food waste, surprise them with a thoughtful earth-friendly gift. If they are interested in growing their own food but live in a small space or just want to minimize wasting grocery store herbs, this HGTV editor-approved AeroGarden Harvest indoor hydroponic garden would make be a perfect addition to their kitchen countertop. A bamboo countertop compost bin will help them reduce their food waste in style. Make it easy for them to ditch plastic in the kitchen with multipurpose and reusable silicone Stasher bags that are dishwasher-, microwave- and freezer-safe. Upgrade their reusable grocery store tote bags to this roomy, sturdy canvas tote with multiple compartments for all of their precious grocery cargo, from wine to flowers to eggs.
GIFTS FOR THE LITTLEST CHEFS
For the littles in your life interested in developing culinary skills, make the kitchen more accessible (literally) to them with a handy convertible kitchen stand from the Etsy shop Montessori House Bed. This stand comes in sleek neutral colors that won't cramp your home's style, and it allows young kids to safely access kitchen counters. It also converts to a kid's table. For a budget-friendly gift, a colorful kid-sized apron will make them feel like a professional chef and keep spills off of their clothes, which is really a gift for parents already drowning in laundry, too. For older and more independent kids, keep them busy and learning with a fun cook-along sushi-making kit from Raddish Kids or a National Geographic book of edible science experiments.
FOR THE MEAL PREP ENTHUSIAST
With more employees returning to the office and commuting again, keep the chef or health enthusiast in your life organized and stress-free with some meal-prepping essentials. The brand Souper Cubes, as seen on Shark Tank, makes freezable silicone trays with lids in various serving sizes like half-cup, 1-cup, or 2-cup proportions to simplify meal prep and freezer storage. They're perfect for soups, sauces, stocks, smoothie ingredients and more. When chopping a lot of vegetables at once, a mandolin slicer comes in super handy, and durable glass storage containers are a must. If they already have these essentials, a vacuum sealer, like this one from NutriChef that HGTV editors love, is a handy gadget they might appreciate.