The 40 Best Gifts for Foodies in 2021

For the foodie who loves to cook and has an eye for fun design, this Fredericks & Mae cutting board is sure to please. It'll add some excitement to their daily chopping tasks and it'll look great when displayed on the counter or used as a serving board. Plus, it's made from recycled scraps from making solid-colored cutting boards, giving it a sustainability edge above others.

Not only is a dull knife a pain to work with—making it harder to make smooth cuts and slowing down cooking time—but it's also a kitchen safety hazard. Give your foodie friend the gift of sharp, safe, and satisfyingly smooth chopping with this highly rated knife sharpener made with diamond abrasives. 

This one is for the baker who believes every occasion calls for a cake. Help them display their creations beautifully with this milk glass cake stand and glass cover. Choose from seven dreamy colors, including the jadeite green pictured, robin egg blue, light pink, and more.

Friends don't let friends eat bland food—and this gift will ensure your friend is stocked up with exactly what they need to take their meals to the next level. From rich pastas to caramel-covered desserts, Maldon sea salt flakes are the perfect finishing touch to any dish, adding a bold touch of flavor and texture. 

When Drew Barrymore's kitchen line first dropped at Walmart, it sold out in one day—and for good reason. Her products are practical, affordable, and attractive. This sage green air fryer will help your loved one cook fast, healthy, and deliciously crispy meals without having an eyesore on their kitchen counter.

These beautifully designed appetizer plates will be a hit for the person who loves hosting a multi-course dinner party. They're perfect for serving an array of small bites before the main course, or for creating individually sized charcuterie boards to give guests an elevated experience. 

A hand-crank pasta maker may be the more traditional route, but this technologically advanced alternative provides even more options without all the arm strain. The machine includes four shaping discs—for spaghetti, fettuccini, penne and lasagna or dumplings—and it can crank out homemade pasta in a matter of minutes.

Like fine wines, Firstleaf is a wine subscription service that gets better over time. For the first order, customers take a quiz to determine their custom tasting profile. Then, after going through the first box of six curated wines, they can rate the wines to further refine their preferences and ensure an even better box next time around. Send your wine-loving foodie a Firstleaf gift card so they can experience new and custom-picked wines just for them.

Chili crisp has gained a cult-like following over the past year for its ability to go on everything. Get the popular spicy condiment along with two other flavor-enhancing products—the sweet and savory Zhong Sauce and the dry Mala Spice Mix—in this trio set by Fly by Jing. The brand was founded by Jing Gao and the line of pantry staples is inspired by the flavors of her hometown of Chengdu, China.

Give them the perfect tools for seasoning their next great dish. The spice mill can be used for the perfect grind of nutmeg or cinnamon, and the zester works beautifully to create fine flecks of citrus peel, hard cheeses, or chocolate to top your foodie's masterpiece. 

There are so many ways to use a pizza stone. From roasting potatoes and veggies, to baking bagels, to searing meat, to making crispy, delicious pizza. This simple, yet multi-purpose item, is sure to make a great addition to your foodie's kitchen. 

For any vegan chefs or tofu-lovers out there, this turtle tofu press is an adorable way to help them prep their protein before cooking. The product is made from naturally antibacterial bamboo, is dishwasher safe, and can drain the excess water from tofu in just 20 minutes. 

Most foodies will know that scented candles don't belong at the dinner table, as they can distract from and interfere with the flavors of a meal. This candle, however, is intended for use after all the cooking and eating is done. Sarah Clifford Owen, the founder of The Worthington Collection, designed candles that wouldn't only mask odors temporarily, but clear the air of them entirely—perfect for ridding the kitchen of lingering food smells after cooking. Her naturally scented candles are also non-toxic, vegan, and come in luxurious, perfect-for-gifting packaging.

Any cold-brew coffee addict will tell you there are two major shortcomings about their favorite drink. First, that it's super-pricy to purchase at any coffee shop. Second, that making it from scratch takes forever (who can wait 12 hours for caffeine?). This automatic cold-brew maker solves both problems: It serves up super-smooth, strong DIY cold brew in as little as 25 minutes. 

This Wisconsin Cheese Artisan Award Winners Cheese Board gift will instantly elevate your foodie friend's holiday. This package features three hand-selected, award-winning Wisconsin Cheeses—Prairie Sunset by Roth, Pleasant Ridge Reserve, and Wisconsin Apple Smoked Cheddar—all packed alongside a wooden bamboo cutting board.

For the loved one who got really into sourdough over the pandemic, this machine can help simplify their baking routine. This machine has separate settings for gluten-free and other bread types, a system that releases fruits and nuts at just the right moment in the kneading and proofing process, and a mixing paddle that automatically retracts before baking so you don't get that funny indent in the finished product. 

Make your loved one's next sushi feast or bowl of ramen a little more fun with this bright and cheerful collection of rainbow-hued chopsticks. 

Give the earth-conscious chef a set of three sizes of beeswax wraps to help seal and save their latest culinary creations. The wraps can be washed easily with soap and water and reused for the next day's dishes.

A santoku knife's ultra-thin blade makes it perfect for clean slices and fine cutting work. Handmade in the area of Japan noted for its samurai sword craftsmanship, Shun's santoku knife features 34 layers of stainless steel, honed to a perfect edge.

Consider this a must-have for sushi enthusiasts. The stunning book from the luxe publishers at Assouline presents 20 of the most celebrated sushi masters on the Japanese food scene, profiled by the James Beard Award-winning photographer and author Andrea Fazzari. Each chapter will introduce your foodie friend or family member to a new sushi master and restaurant, capturing their expertise, artwork, and dedication that illustrates their status as the world's finest culinary shokunin (loosely defined as "artisan"). 

Loved ones who pride themselves on having a refined palate know what we're talking about when we say that this stuff is liquid gold. GrenDronach Single Malt Scotch is aged in the best Spanish Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherry casks for a minimum of 12 years, which gives it a rich, soft, and oaky flavor peppered with notes of fresh pear and vanilla and a smooth finish. 

Twenty percent of all profits from this fair trade, sustainable coffee company are donated to help rescue dogs in need. The range of gift subscription options is incredibly wide: they have several types of light, medium, and dark roast beans available, as well as hot chocolates and single-serve pods. Blends have super-cute names, too—think Belly Rub and Good Boy Dark Roast—sure to put a smile on the face of your loved one before their way-too-early morning walk with their pet.

André's is a 65-year-old, third-generation-owned family business based in Kansas City (where it's a local legend). The Swiss confiserie has perfected the art that is luxury hand-crafted chocolates. This gorgeous gift set includes an array of their top sellers: Chocolate Orange Peels, Sel des Alpes Caramels, Signature Milk Chocolate Almonds, Signature Dark Chocolate Almonds, Sel des Alpes Dark Chocolate Almonds, and Extra Dark 80% Chocolate Almonds. Consider this box the ultimate, most decadent indulgence to treat the chocolate lover in your life with. 

What can't this smart kitchen appliance do? The Thermomix TM6 is the ultimate gift for your foodie friend or family member—it can perform over 24 functions and techniques, meaning it can cook you an entire gourmet meal, hands-free, from start to finish. From chopping and mixing to weighing ingredients, sautéing, browning, blending, boiling, and more, you can consider this device your personal sous chef. Best part? It has a log of over 50,000 integrated recipes that all come with guided cooking, so even if you've never cooked a day in your life, you can expect restaurant-quality results.

Dreams do come true. Magnolia Bakery's cups of golden pudding perfection are finally available outside their West Village bakery's doors—in fact, they're shipping their famous banana pudding nationwide. Layered with sweet vanilla wafers and fresh banana slices, their dreamy-creamy banana pudding is the most desirable dessert on planet Earth (maybe) with devoted fans that span across the world. Gluten-free loved ones can go for the GF rendition; or check their page for the latest seasonal versions. 

Professional bakers and chocolate makers love marble work surfaces because the stone remains cool to the touch. Marble rolling pins, like this one from Crate and Barrel, make easy work of rolling dough because it too stays cool, so your buttery pie dough won't melt before you get it into the pie plate. Cold doughs yield under its healthy weight, so no need to go back and forth in the fridge while you're cutting out cookie shapes. Each rolling pin is one of a kind due to the natural variance in the marble and comes with its own rubberwood stand so it can rest right at home on the counter.

Sous vide devices seem to be the latest "it" cooking tools, beloved for their ability to cook foods evenly because of the low temperatures and long cooking times. Breville's Joule sous vide is one of Amazon's best-sellers, racking up nearly 1,000 five-star reviews, and is Bluetooth- and WiFi-compatible for easy use and syncing up with the accompanying app.

If your foodie likes hosting, these decorative and edible flowers are a great and unique gift. Sprinkle these colorful botanicals on everything from stews to baked goods for an artistic touch or even leave them floating atop teas and cocktails. When hosting dinner parties, the colorful accoutrements can dress up a cheese board or even give store-bought dishes a personalized touch.

Time to upgrade your foodie's Dutch oven game with fan favorite brand Le Creuset. The enameled cast iron kitchen tool is durable and perfect for slow-cooking, braising, and roasting, and is sure to become a staple in the recipient's kitchen. Choose from multiple sizes and colors, or you can even opt for a round shape instead of oval.

RELATED: Cleaning and Seasoning a Cast Iron Skillet

There's no better gift than one you wouldn't necessarily buy for yourself. Take this gorgeous bottle of olive oil: We know we're supposed to buy and use the good stuff, but it can be a financial strain for those of us who cook every night—which makes this bottle an ideal holiday gift for food-lovers and culinary enthusiasts. Not only do you get a liter of some of Italy's finest extra virgin olive oil but the gorgeous jar it comes in, too. Re-use it to hold future olive oils—opaque bottles like this help prevent light damage, which can decrease antioxidants.

This reissued cult classic has fresh photography and 68 new recipes. The photos are just as beautiful to look at as the dishes will be delicious to eat.

With an oil dipping kit like this, your foodie can turn any olive oil already in the kitchen into an herb-infused delicacy. The kit includes 15 herbs and spices from all over the world, letting your giftee experience the tastes of diverse cuisines by just adding a dash of this or that to olive oil.

One of the most important culinary lessons you'll learn is to season every layer while you're cooking. Nothing makes that easier than keeping your favorite salt right on the counter next to the stove in a great-looking container. This olivewood box holds 6 ounces of salt and has a swiveling lid with a magnetic latch so your salt stays protected and secure.

Crafted in small batches according to European tradition, these pesto sauces pair deliciously with classic olive oil for dipping fresh bread. The trio includes a Tuscan Fresh Basil Pesto, an Olivada Olive Pesto with a hint of lemon, and Sun-Dried Tomato using vine-ripened California tomatoes. Pair the gift with a delicious loaf of ciabatta bread and you'll be the favorite gift-giver for sure.

Bring your friends some holiday spirit with this homemade gin kit. In just 36 hours, plain vodka becomes small-batch gin—a libation that's so much more celebratory than the usual bottle of wine. The process is easy enough—the budding mixologist just needs to infuse vodka with the pre-measured tins of juniper berries and botanical mix (which includes coriander, rosemary, lavender, rose hips, allspice, fennel seed, lemon peel, greens cardamom, Tellicherry black pepper, and bay leaf.) Each kit makes two 375-milliliter glass bottles of the spirit, so there'll be plenty to go around on New Year's Eve. Our food editors suggest serving it with a splash of tonic and a wedge of lime.

Locavores can plant crops in the corner of a room with this hydroponic (i.e., easy to care for) garden, in sizes up to six feet. It can grow fruits, veggies, and herbs indoors or out. 

Packed with info about quirky food festivals and dishes from around the world, this book will captivate the armchair traveler and eager eater in your life.

Ideal for meal planners, this compact station organizes the chopping, slicing, and dicing, with nicely sized containers, a cutting board, and prep tools. 

For vino aficionados and novices alike, a build-your-own-bottle blending kit—complete with wineglass, beakers, and graduated cylinder—is the sort of science experiment we can get behind.

Cooks (and neat freaks) will love that the grinding mechanisms are at the top, which keeps salt and pepper contained, not strewn across the table.