12 Kitchen Must-Have Gifts for Your Friend Who Loves to Cook

Looking for the best gift for your friend who loves to cook? These kitchen must-haves are perfect for amateurs and professional chefs alike! From handy and inexpensive kitchen gadgets to unique appliances, these are the top gifts of 2021 for the chef in your life.

four-piece cream-coloured ceramic cookware set by Caraway

Indigo

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A Caraway Cookware Set, for the Chef Who Gets Carried Away With the Salt

For the chef who treats their kitchen like a showpiece, a set of Caraway’s beautiful non-toxic ceramic-coated cookware will elicit squeals of delight! Not only does it look chic stored away or mid sauté, it’s perfect for staging Instagram #foodie photo shoots. Four-Piece Ceramic Caraway Cookware Set, Indigo, $575.

Wireless meat thermometer and roasted meat

MEATER

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A Smart Meat Thermometer for the Meathead in Your Life

What do you get the chef who has everything? A Bluetooth enabled MEATER Plus thermometer! The wireless device is simple to use and syncs with an app that guides your self proclaimed grill master through the entire cooking process. And it works across grills, smokers and kitchen appliances. MEATER Plus with Bluetooth Repeater, MEATER, $150.

Nesting storage bowls with lids in unique prints

Indigo

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A Stylish Place for the Mise en Place

Storage bowls may not scream Santa’s wish list, but ask any chef worth their salt and they’ll tell you they can never have too many food storage bowls. We especially love this set for its chic prints. Leftovers will look way more appealing dressed up in stripes! Set of 3 Bamboo Fibre Nesting Bowls, Indigo, $35.

Amazon

4 / 12

If You Gift it, Fries Will Come

An air fryer is the perfect way to send the subtle suggestion that your culinary bestie’s repertoire is lacking fries (and chicken wings, calamari and deep fried chocolate bars). Ninja Air Fryer, Amazon, $130.

Amazon

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Stick to the Classics With a Non-Stick Silpat Baking Mat

Give yourself a pat on the back after gifting a Silpat to the baker in your life. They’re a staple in French kitchens, and for good reason: they are the very best non-stick baking mat on Earth. Ever. Silpat Premium Non-Stick Silicone Baking Mat, Amazon, $49.

Bar From Afar

6 / 12

A Craft Cocktail Kit for the Cocktail Connoisseur in Your Life

Is your pal a mixologist in the making? Take them on a spiced rum adventure this December with a kit that includes everything they’ll need to prepare four unique speakeasy-style cocktails using the holiday favourite spirit. Spiced rum, fresh mixes, garnishes… it’s all included. Think of it as a food delivery kit, just 10,000 times better! Holiday Spiced Rum Cocktail Kit, Bar From Afar, $70.

Cookery

7 / 12

Stuff Stockings With an Avocado Sock

When it’s guac o’clock, time waits for no one! Not even the avocado. This genius little sock creates the perfect toasty environment to ripen a tough avocado in a day. Buy a few and keep them on hand for impromptu gift giving. The Avocado Sock, Cookery, $20.

Galerie au Chocolat

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The Most Decadent Hot Chocolate for Your Sweet-Toothed Friend

Move over powdered hot chocolate! If your foodie friend has a penchant for all things sweet, they’ll go nuts for Galerie au Chocolat’s version – the entire bag consists of real shavings from blocks of organic Belgian milk chocolate. Plus, it’s made using fairtrade ingredients, so you can feel good knowing where it came from. Milk Chocolate 37% Old Fashioned Hot Chocolate, Galerie au Chocolat, $10.

Green garlic press preparing minced garlic

Hudson's Bay

9 / 12

A Garlic Press for Your Stinky Chef

A homemade meal may win hearts, but stinky garlic fingers are a lose-lose situation. Lend your friend a helping (odour-free) hand with a garlic press. Not only does it save skin from garlic’s notorious aroma, it minces garlic into perfectly even pieces. Helix Garlic Press, Hudson’s Bay, $18.

The Cross Design & Decor

10 / 12

A Handy Dandy Compost Bin

We’re all for kitchen tools that ease the process of cooking, and having a little compost bin on the counter to easily toss food scraps certainly fits the bill. This one is a favourite for its chic design, and its carbon filter, which cuts down on odour. It’s a compost bin to be proud of. Terra Natural Compost Bin, The Cross Design & Decor, $75.

Williams Sonoma

11 / 12

A Souper Cubes Freeze Tray Makes a Souper Gift

These freezer trays are perfect for the chef who loves batch cooking and storing away soups and sauces for the winter. They’re designed using food-grade silicone, making it easy to pop out individual portions as needed. Gifting this tray nearly guarantees you dibs on perfectly packaged portions from your foodie friend. Souper Cubes Freezer Tray, Williams Sonoma, $45.

Lee Valley

12 / 12

A Bread Proofing Basket to Prove Your Devotion

If gift giving has you thinking “Doh!,” you’re on the right track. For your rolling pin wielding, dough punching pal, a bread proofing basket is essential. Round Banneton Bread Proofing Basket, Lee Valley, $25.