The Best Gifts for Foodies in 2019

Even if you've procrastinated shopping your gifts for foodies until now, you can still get a bottle of authentic Vermont Maple Syrup delivered before Christmas Day. Your foodie friend will appreciate the hint of Bourbon in the sweetener (sans alcohol), and the decorative glass bottle will be a pretty addition to any kitchen shelf or countertop.

To buy: $19; amazon.com.

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.

To buy: $40 (was $50) for 16 ounces, williams-sonoma.com.

This fan-favorite Yeti mug features a double-wall of vacuum insulation to ensure your foodie's beverages or soups stay exactly at their intended temperatures. The scratch, peel, and fade-resistant rambler comes in 12 colors and can fit 14 ounces of hot or cold liquids for the foodie on the go.

To buy: $25; amazon.com.

Kick up your foodie’s Instant Pot capabilities with a comprehensive set of accessories, including basics like parchment papers and kitchen tongs to cooking hacks like an eggs bite mold and recipe cheat sheets. Who knows? Maybe the set will encourage some creativity and they’ll discover completely new things to make in their Instant Pot.

To buy: $41; amazon.com.

Made in Brooklyn, this bottle of spicy-sweet goodness makes a welcome addition to just about any dish. Use it to balance a mustardy salad dressing, drizzle it over fried chicken, o, do like they do in the borough and squeeze it over a pepperoni pizza (trust us—it works). Stuff a bottle of the hot honey sauce into a Christmas stocking or use it as part of a homemade chili-lovers gift basket by wrapping it with a variety of your favorite artisanal hot sauces or chili oil. But don’t worry, Mike’s Hot Honey is just a little bit spicy so it’s appropriate for all ages.

To buy: $9; amazon.com.

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 of 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.

To buy: $28; amazon.com.

Are your little ones (or you) tired of the same ol' snack options? They’ll flip for this fun take on ice pops that combines their love of monsters, dessert, and a DIY activity. Fill the flexible silicone “sleeves” with juice or ice cream, insert each into the included tray, and freeze for about three hours to create a creepy-looking frozen treat. The kit is compact (the tray fits in the freezer door) and cleanup is a cinch (it’s all stackable for easy storage).

To buy: $16; amazon.com.

Fermenting produce or making kimchi and sauerkraut requires a bunch of materials. This kit covers that, with three easy lids featuring waterproof airlock technology and an extractor pump. The lids are compatible with wide-mouth mason jars and the set even comes with a lifetime subscription to the brand’s Fermenting Club online community.

To buy: $27; amazon.com.

Sometimes recipes call for a specific amount of certain spices, and this spice rack not only includes those spices but also allows for precise measuring with the built-in dial tool. While the entire rack rotates so a home chef can easily spot what's needed, each of the 12 compartments is also detachable for even easier access to the necessary ingredients. These spice carousels can be mounted under a cabinet or a shelf, or you can stack multiple on top of each other for even more spice storage. Although they're made of plastic, the champagne finish looks similar to stainless steel and will match with the kitchen appliances your giftee already owns.

To buy: $38; amazon.com.

The unique flavor of this sweet finishing vinegar will add a dash of excitement to your foodie’s meals. From cheese to salads and even vanilla ice cream, this cask-aged balsamic can enhance any dish with its balanced flavor of sweet figs and tart elderberries.

To buy: $18; mouth.com.

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.

To buy: From $150; lecreuset.com.

RELATED: Cleaning and Seasoning a Cast Iron Skillet

If there’s no good Asian market near your foodie, he or she probably has a hard time locating high-quality mochi. Give a dual gift of an at-home activity and delicious dessert with this easy-to-use kit, which includes everything needed to make the Japanese treat using any ice cream flavor already in the freezer.

To buy: $30; uncommongoods.com.

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.

To buy: $25; amazon.com.

A dash of citrus works on many meals, but it’s always such a shame to waste the rest of the lemon or let it go bad with lackluster storage options. Gift your foodie this clever little kitchen tool so he or she can keep cut lemon wedges fresh and fragrant for days. The dishwasher-safe storage container is a cute way to spot lemons in the fridge, too, standing out on a crowded shelf with its bright, lemon shape.

To buy: $5; amazon.com.

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 six ounces of salt and has a swiveling lid with a magnetic latch so your salt stays protected and secure.

To buy: $38; amazon.com.

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.

To buy: $38; uncommongoods.com.

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.

To buy: $160 (was $250); amazon.com.

For foodies with a busy life, finding the time to cook just isn’t always in the cards. Help them meal prep with a subscription service that pre-portions ingredients for up to 26 customizable recipes each week. The easy meals will be a weeknight game changer, having them cooking again and getting dinner on the table in 30 minutes.

To buy: From $8; homechef.com.

Foodies love few things more than to be able to add home-grown touches to their recipes. One of these shiitake mushroom logs won’t just be a conversation starter sitting prominently out in the kitchen but an excuse to whip up some tasty, mushroom-laden dishes and invite guests over for delicious home-cooked dinners.

To buy: $30; uncommongoods.com.

Food lovers hate wasting food (as they should), so make sure their pantries are equipped with top-of-the-line storage options. Ruibbermaid’s FreshWorks Produce Savers are beloved by Amazon shoppers, many of whom call the three-piece set “amazing” for how long the containers keep fruit and veggies fresh—giving you crisp lettuce, firm tomatoes, and tasty blackberries for way longer than you’d expect to be able to store them.

To buy: $27; amazon.com.

Clever packaging shows off noodles in a variety of colors and textures.

To buy: $12 per box; bergdorfgoodman.com.

This knife-and-serving-board set tackles any cheese shape or texture.

To buy: $60; bloomingdales.com.

This set includes a Dutch oven, a skillet, and a lid that fits both—along with a handy wood trivet.

To buy: $118; store.moma.org.

This hefty tome from famed food writer and recipe developer Julia Turshen is an inspiring addition to any kitchen bookshelf, whether the foodie you know is a cooking novice or a full-fledged chef. It’s chock-full of ideas for quick, easy, full-flavored dishes for breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and desserts. Some of our favorites include newfangled creations like sour cream pancakes with roasted blueberries and peach and bourbon milkshakes to oldies but goodies like the ultimate, no-fail chicken soup (a Turshen family favorite). Poignant anecdotes and stunning photographs are woven in along with the expert instruction, making this cookbook—with forward by The Food Network’s Ina Garten—a definite keeper.

To buy: $20; amazon.com.

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.

To buy: $44; food52.com.

A solid wood cutting board is a kitchen must-have, but one personalized with your foodies’ names carved in will make theirs stand out from what they might buy themselves. With the added customization, the cutting board can double as a serving platter or decorative cheese board after all the slicing and dicing is complete.

To buy: From $159; uncommongoods.com.

Supply the home chef or mixologist with everything needed to plant (and maintain) a fruitful indoor garden.

To buy: $52; gardenuity.com.

Looking for a gift that is a latte fun to use during the holidays and year-round? We’ve found a cute companion that coffee lovers would be happy to add to their kitchen collections. Fill this little device with cinnamon, coffee grounds, or cocoa and start drawing designs on your hot drinks in an instant. Looking to take your Saturday morning pancakes to the next level? This easy-to-operate device can help you add funny faces, phrases, or decorative swirls. If you're planning to serve eggnog at your holiday party, garnish the glasses with a cinnamon design to impress your guests.

To buy: $20; cinnibird.com.

No matter who the recipient is—a party host, a mother-in-law, a close pal—it is hard to go wrong with this savory gourmet selection. The three-part, three-pound cheese pairing (including sheep’s milk, goat’s milk, and bleu cheddar) comes with crackers and cured fig preserves with the option to add cured salami for $10 more. If you’re bringing this gift to a holiday get-together, amp it up with a bottle of wine or incorporate it into a beautiful cheese board, adding a mix of fruit (grapes, strawberries, apples, or cherries) and a variety of nuts.

To buy: From $65; curedboulder.com.

These mixing bowls functional, of course, but also pretty enough to serve in and leave out as countertop decor. The faux marble glazing gives them a more sophisticated look than more common glass mixing bowls without detracting from their effectiveness and stackability for compact storage.

To buy: $34 (was $40); cb2.com.

Foodies probably have a lot of different knives of all shapes and sizes, and the good thing about a knife block like this is the flexibility it provides. Without particular slots carved into the wood, this block allows your foodie friend to store knives up to eight inches long between flexible, rod-shaped pins that won’t dull or chip the blades.

To buy: $30; amazon.com.

If the foodie in your life is not cooking with ghee already, he or she should be. This dairy- and lactose-free compound butter is versatile and can handle the heat because it doesn't burn at high temperatures like regular butter. Use it to infuse intense flavor into veggies and meats or even just as a spread on a piece of toast for an afternoon snack. It is available in eight delicious flavors, including chocolate varieties, that will please any and all palates.

To buy: $13; fourthandheart.com.

If your foodie could have one knife and one knife only, it would be this santoku from Japanese brand Shun Cutlery. The handcrafted, fine knife is as beautiful as it is sharp, and the all-purpose tool slices, dices, and minces with swift precision so home chefs can feel like the pros. The hand-hammered finish is also more than just a pretty touch, helping prevent food from sticking to the blade.

To buy: $200; amazon.com.

RELATED: These Are the Three Knives Every Home Cook Needs

Cheese on its own is a delight, but dressing it up with the proper serving instruments adds a definite air of sophistication. These three stainless steel pieces are topped with natural amethyst stones, which also means each set will be a little different, making for a unique gift only the recipient could have.

To buy: $78; shopterrain.com.

Scotch and tequila lovers alike will fall head over heels for this smoky but unbelievably smooth mezcal. Made from the agave called Espadín, the genetic parent of blue agave (which is used to make regular tequila), this beverage is gently smoked so it tastes like mesquite and charred fruit. The smoky flavor is milder than other mezcals on the market, making it a fantastic pick for someone who doesn’t have a ton of experience drinking the liquor. It’s best enjoyed chilled with a fresh orange wedge in a glass rimmed with salt.

To buy: $52; reservebar.com.

One of the biggest issues for coffee geeks is the freshness of their beans—did you know that coffee only stays fresh for three days after roasting? That means drinking A LOT of coffee if you want a fresh cup at home. Enter the elegant Zenroast, an easy, elegant way to roast your own coffee beans at home, making the gorgeous ceramic coffee bean roaster a must-have for true coffee obsessives. Each roaster is fired in one of Japan’s Six Ancient Kilns at a temperature of 1472 degrees. It can be used to roast tea leaves and sesame seeds, too, and it works on gas and electric stovetops.

To buy: $55; zenroast.co.