The best part about a meal is rarely just the food itself. More often than not, it’s the connections, conversations, and friendships that make the experience special. At-home chefs, restaurant fanatics, and food influencers of all kinds would likely agree that their passion for the culinary world is rooted in the bonds they’ve made surrounding food as much as the actual flavors.
For the chefs among us, mastering a new skill in the kitchen is often more about personal growth than simply dishing up some good pasta. Though, to be fair, dishing up good pasta is a hell of a perk.
That’s why culinary gifts are so popular. They’re both deeply resonant and practical — an ideal gifting combo. For anyone shopping for a gourmand, the team at UPROXX is here to share our own tried and true kitchen and food-focused gifts. Some items will help elevate your giftee’s cooking skills while others will satisfy their strongest cravings.
Spiceology Global Flavors Variety Pack
Price: $36
Company Line:
Get out your passport! With six globally-inspired rubs and blends, this variety pack is the perfect way to experiment with flavor.
Why It’s a Great Gift:
True foodies love a good kick of spice and flavor — especially when it represents the tastes of the best foods around the world. This Spiceology gift set offers a variety of fan-favorite spices that the foodie in your life can use to experiment in the kitchen, themed around popular global cuisines.
This set is sure to take the mid-level chef’s cooking skills up a notch in no time.
Bottom Line:
When it comes down to it, foodies love flavor. This packs a ton of it into one simple gift while also broadening their understanding of different foodways. — Chloe Caldwell
Atlas 150 Aluminum Pasta Maker
Price: $84.95
Company Line:
The most versatile manual pasta maker on this market, this Italian steel hand-crank device with a great commercial countertop presence puts out perfect linguine, spaghetti, and lasagna noodles in minutes. Flat rollers create the dough sheet. The double-cutter is removable for easy cleaning. Table clamp and instruction book with recipes included.
Why It’s a Great Gift:
There are few things more satisfying than a big bowl of saucy, warm pasta. With their own pasta maker, the food aficionado can take every pasta recipe into their own hands. Giving them the opportunity to make pasta from scratch is a simple way to make food more fun.
Bottom Line:
Carbs are a food lover’s favorite food group (or is that just me?). This vital tool is a great way to satisfy their starchy cravings. — Chloe Caldwell
William Sonoma Molcajete
Price: $49.95
Company Line:
Among the world’s oldest culinary tools, volcanic rock mortars and pestles like these have been used by great cooks for thousands of years. Our molcajete (mortar) and tejolete (pestle) are hand-carved from a single piece of basalt rock, so every piece is unique. In addition to being a great prep tool, the molcajete makes an impressive serving dish for guacamole and other party favorites.
Why It’s a Great Gift:
The food lover in your life will love this useful tool for mashing up a variety of salsas and pastes. Whether they’re cooking for one or hosting a party, serving from a molcajete is also a simple way to elevate any meal.
Bottom Line:
Three words: stone ground guacamole. — Chloe Caldwell
Master Hot Sauce Collection, Pack of 30
Price: $57.99
Company Line:
This unique collection of 30 spicy hot sauces in mini glass bottles boasts an array of flavors and heat, from mild Garlic Arbol to Extreme Habanero. This fun sampler has 30 vegetarian, vegan sauces that range the Scoville hotness scale with a variety of seasonings including cayenne bacon, garlic herb pineapple habanero. A great gift idea for hot sauce lovers who love sampling a range of spicy flavors.
Why It’s a Great Gift:
Food lovers aren’t afraid of a little extra heat. A good hot sauce can go a long way when it comes to taking a delicious meal to the next level. Therefore, this wide range of 30 different hot sauces is a surefire way to win over any foodie’s heart. They’ll love playing with all the different flavors and trying them with a variety of recipes.
Bottom Line:
Does 30 hot sauce flavors seem a little excessive? Maybe. Is it also totally awesome? Absolutely. — Chloe Caldwell
Nordic Ware Belgian WafflerChloe Caldwell
Price: $65
Company Line:
Nordic Ware is a family-owned company making quality kitchenware products for families everywhere for 75 years and counting. Simple yet effective, this Belgian Waffler comes apart at the hinge for convenient cleaning and its slim profile makes storage easy.
Why It’s a Great Gift:
You know what they say – breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Why not give your giftee something to sweeten their mornings? This Belgian waffle maker is the ultimate slow Sunday morning contraption that your foodie friend will be glad to have after a long night out at their go-to restaurants and bars.
Bottom Line:
Homemade Belgian waffles sound like hangover heaven, right? — Chloe Caldwell
Hama Hama Company Oyster Starter Pack
Price: $75
Company Line:
First timer? No need to be scared, let us help you get started. This handy pack includes:
- 2 dozen extra small oysters
- shucking gloves (pick your size)
- shucking knife
- oyster tasting guide
- a bar towel for shucking
- a lemon
- seasonal mignonette
It’s everything you need to get going on your shucking adventure.
Why It’s a Great Gift:
Shucking oysters is a pain-in-the-ass without the right tools. This gift pack covers everything you’ll need plus plenty of great oysters from Hama Hama to practice those shucking skills at home. There really isn’t a better starter kit for the novice or master out there looking to eat amazing oysters this month.
Bottom Line:
Oysters are the ultimate luxury food this season and it’s never been easier to get them to your door. — Zach Johnston
Roscioli Italian Wine Club
Price: $200-$1,130
Company Line:
From Roscioli:
- Perfect for wine and Italy lovers
- FREE SHIPPING to the USA & EU (we also ship to most other countries)
- 6 bottles per shipment (you can increase the quantity at the checkout)
- One-time purchase with no contract
- Comprehensive tasting notes and videos available free online
- Gift subscriptions are also available
Why It’s a Great Gift:
This is a wine club in name only. We’re only talking about one shipment with no contract for great Italian wines. Each bottle is hand-picked by the crew at Roscioli. For those in the dark on that name, Roscioli is the most lauded and beloved (by me) deli in Rome. They have an amazing selection of meats, cheese, salads, bread, oils, beers, and wines amongst every other amazing Roman treat you can imagine. It’s a must-stop when in Rome and getting bottles delivered to your door in the U.S. is a great holiday treat.
What makes this such a great gift for the foodie in your life is that you get amazing tasting and pairing notes (via videos) from real-deal pros in Italy. This gift is as much of an education as it is delicious.
Bottom Line:
Great Italian wine chosen by some serious pros is never a bad idea. The fact that you can actually get this from Italy to your door is the cherry on top. — Zach Johnston
Food-grade Stainless Steel Potato Ricer
Price: $22
Company Line:
This is a heavy-duty, professional kitchen-grade ricer. It’s durable and can handle a lot of potato ricing when you’re making the whole fam mashed potatoes this holiday season. It also works for mashing any root veg or juicing any citrus fruit you have around.
Why It’s a Great Gift:
This is how you make great mashed potatoes. Whenever you’ve had a mashed potato side that blew your mind, it was 100 percent because they were made with a potato ricer. This all makes this an essential kitchen tool for anyone who wants to cook great mash at home.
Bottom Line:
Having the right tools to make good food is something you really can’t get around. This is a seemingly simple device that will up anyone’s kitchen game. — Zach Johnston
Messermeister Adventure Chef 6-Piece Summit Set
Price: $249.99
Company Line:
Reinvent campsite cooking with the Adventure Chef 6 Piece Summit Set. Easily prepare fresh food with the tools you carry with you wherever you go. Outfit yourself with full-size kitchen knives that are compact, portable, and most of all, the same Messermeister chef-grade quality used in the kitchen. We’ve selected unique natural and sustainable handle materials that are ergonomic, balanced, and rugged enough to be used outdoors. Our blades are made out of our classic 1.4116 German Steel, which is prized for its toughness and ability to hold a great edge.
Why It’s a Great Gift:
Honestly, of the food-related items I’ve bought this year, this one gets the most comments. As a chef who loves the outdoors and is also slightly disorganized, I’ve got plenty of scars from giant, fixed-blade knives sliding around in my stuff. This solves that problem without giving up any of the vital aspects of a proper chef’s all-rounder — being able to work at scale for speedy slicing, dicing, mincing, and chopping.
If you have $250 to spend, the whole set is incredible. It really allows the would-be chef to go full kitchen gourmet over a campfire. The fact that the scales of the handle are beautiful and the design feels rustic in that very cool, European way is a bonus.
Bottom Line:
If you’re shopping for someone who loves food and the outdoors, there’s a 0.00% chance they won’t flat-out love this. — Steve Bramucci
Buy the Adventure Chef’s Knife here: $129.95
Haute Mess LA Luxury Haute Holiday Gift Basket
Price: $150
Company Line:
Here’s what’s included:
- Bottle of The Prisoner Red Wine From Napa Valley
- Bottle of the Flowers Chardonnay from Sonoma Coast
- Montaraz Jamon Cebo de Campo
- Balsamic Vinegar of Modena
- Merula Extra Virgin Olive Oil Tin
- Panettoncino Amarena
- Giusto Roman Style Artichoke
- Artisanal preserve
- Lesley Stowe Raincoast Crisps
- Divina Roasted Red Tomatoes
- Antipasto Spicy Garlic
- Fabbri Fragola Strawberries In Syrup Crock
- Caffarel Premium Chocolate Bars
- Melagro Apple Balsamic
Why It’s a Great Gift:
Food and place are married together. Haute Mess gets that. Everything in their gift basket has a story and a clear sense of identity — often tied to the city where it’s made. And having received a basket as a gift and eaten everything in it, I can tell you: they clearly vet and pick all these items carefully.
Haute Mess has a number of gift baskets, but the Euro-Italian focus of this basket really appealed to me. A gift basket with two types of balsamic and Italian strawberries in syrup? Yeah, I’m in. And the products are all so cool-looking that even when they’re empty the tins and bottles and jars are likely to be saved.
Bottom Line:
Perfect for the food lover who appreciates top-shelf products that are also stylish. Bonus points for you if you buy it for someone hosting a holiday party that you’re also going to. — Steve Bramucci
Viking Culinary Viking Enamel Cast Iron Fry Pan
Price: $149.99
Company Line:
The Viking Cast Iron pan is matte enamel-coated, helping to resist chips or cracks while keeping the pieces low maintenance. The entire set is attractive enough to go straight from stove to serving table. The piece is safe for use on the stove, the grill, and in the oven.
Why It’s a Great Gift:
You need cast iron. Period. If you cook, you need cast iron. But an unfinished pan is a bear to clean and often falls out of the cooking rotation for those on the move. The enamel here makes this pan waaaaaaaay easier to clean. Like miles. But you still get the benefits of cast iron. It’s durable, holds heat, is chemical-free, doesn’t chip or degrade like Teflon, and looks good enough to hit the table as a serving dish.
I’ve been cooking with this for a year. It’s my literal go-to pan — from eggs to steaks — and it shows no signs of wear
Bottom Line:
Cast iron is a staple for good reason. But this gem takes some of the work out of owning and maintaining one. — Steve Bramucci
SALTVERK Gift Box
Price: $44.99
Company Line:
A gift box containing 4 kinds of our lovely salt. For almost every use in your kitchen, these four salts are our most popular products. Suits as a perfect gift to bring to dinner parties or to surprise your foodie friends!
Why It’s a Great Gift:
The plain sea salt here is the best I’ve ever tasted. Boom. Enough said. As for the infused options, I normally don’t like infused salts. But these are infusions you couldn’t do at home with the help of a few herbs. You’re not birch-smoking anything or harvesting arctic thyme on the tundras outside your apartment.
The highlight is the lava salt — which is stunning, perfect for tableside preparations, and has a real mineral aspect to it that I love as the finishing touch on chicken and fish dishes.
Bottom Line:
This is a gift you will get “thanks again” texts about until the last jar in the pack runs dry. I promise. — Steve Bramucci
Elijah Craig Barrel-Aged Honey
Price: $12.99
Company Line:
Elijah Craig created a new expression of American whiskey when he first charred oak barrels to make Bourbon. 250 years later, charred barrels are still integral to our Bourbon-making process, and the possibilities are endless. Discover the greatness within our barrels. Every Bourbon is made up of four essential elements: grain, water, fire, and time.
Why It’s a Great Gift:
Elijah Craig’s barrel-aged food line is a joy. I love their barrel-aged maple syrup, but that looks to be sold out right now. This is similarly tasty and fun to cook with. It’s deep, rich, and ever so slightly bourbon-flavored. It’s perfect for the bourbon lover but also definitely not a gimmick for anyone who wants elevated honey with some extra nuance.
Bottom Line:
Barrel-aged honey and hot sauces are all the rage right now. Get these for the food loved who also likes whiskey and you’re sure to get tons of kudos. — Steve Bramucci
Small Axe Peppers Spicy Hot Sauce Set
Price: $21.99
Company Line:
Small Axe Peppers spicy hot sauce gift set is made with peppers sourced from community gardens across the US. Your support helps community gardens and their initiatives. Made with Ghost Pepper, Habanero peppers, ginger root, mango, and Chipotle powder, these hot sauces may not be the world’s hottest hot sauce, but we’d say it’s pretty close. Just add to your favorite BBQ sauce or marinade for a kick of heat and flavor.
Why It’s a Great Gift:
This is hot sauce for a good cause. What else is there to say? Okay, I’ll try — these hot sauces that support community gardens are also incredibly tasty. The flavors are bright and clarified, allowing the peppers to shine through. A variety pack is a great way to make sure you nail the preferred flavor profile and heat level of the person you’re shopping for.
Bottom Line:
Very cool and very tasting and it’s a very good idea to support community gardens and help people get reacquainted with the actual ingredients in the foods they eat. — Steve Bramucci
Salt & Straw Pints of the Moment: The Holiday Series
Price: $65
Company Line:
Our senses are alight come the holiday season. This wondrous time of year when sweets arrive in droves, cards cram your mailbox, and calendars house hidden chocolates. Smudge a peephole to look inside our kitchen window—made foggy by the chill outside—and you’ll glimpse us harnessing the magic with five festive flavors embracing warmth and spice. Put on your coziest holiday sweater, cue the lights and songs, and indulge in our most satiating display of 2021.
Our Holiday Series Pack Includes:
- Gingerbread Cookie Dough
- Almond Brittle w/ Salted Ganache
- The Great Cookie Swap (v)
- Dwanta’s Teremana Spiked Eggnog
- Peppermint Cocoa
Why It’s a Great Gift:
Salt & Straw is one of the best ice cream brands on earth. Their flavors are savory and sweet at once and deeply inventive. bThis variety pack is all about the Yuletide cheer. Dwanta’s Teremana Spiked Eggnog is a surprise standout with plenty of nog flavor paired with a light tequila note, Almond Brittle is a stone-cold Salt & Straw classic — salty and sweet in equal measure, Gingerbread will satiate your cookie craving without overly sweet frostings, and peppermint cocoa is a Holiday classic in the making. (Cookie Swap is my personal least favorite of the bunch but it’s a win for those who like desserts to skew sweet — which many people do!)
The texture and mouthfeel on these pints are impeccable. The flavors are more nuanced than (almost!) anything your giftee can find at the grocer.
Bottom Line:
Salt & Straw is iconic because it’s delicious. If you’re shopping for an ice cream lover, this is a huge win. — Steve Bramucci
