I may not be Oprah, but I am unashamedly the one and only Kari Heron and as the doyenne of all things homely and the one tasked with helping you turn any house or living space into a home, these are a few of my favorite things for the food lover and those who really enjoying making home. This is an update Best Gifts for Foodies compilation. All of the items listed here are curated in my very own Amazon Store. You can also buy our swanky Chef and Steward Merch right here and we ship internationally!
I have my own store on Amazon due to your continued support, and for that, I am thankful. When you shop through my link, I get a very small commission on any qualifying purchases.
I have been writing seasonal gift lists for years in my Dubai food column, When Hunger Strikes, which many looked forward to over the years. I have some experience in kitchen and table as I also directed the digital marketing efforts of the top fine kitchen and table retailer in Dubai with over 15 stores in 6 countries and rebranded and streamlined their digital marketing to include e-commerce and a very active, highly engaging social media presence and creating a cult following now amounting to over 100,000 on FB and IG combined!
What you will realise is that many of the things I like are pretty consistent and for good reason. I am helping you to build a life, a home, one item at a time. If you shop my list according to your disposable income over time you will actually create your own Chef and Steward Kitchen.
These items are great for starters, newlyweds, new home owners, seasoned cooks and chefs. Some items are actually commercial grade and used in top restaurants worldwide. I curate quality. This year, 2021 has been an incredibly difficult year across the world due to a pandemic which has increased distancing between us and those we love. One way to keep our language flowing is through gifts. You can buy items and ship directly to the persons on your list but you could also buy them and create your own care packages. So for example, with fancy Staub teapot, get some great loose leaf herbal blends for tisanes like Loose Leaf Hibiscus, or Loose Leaf Earl Grey Tea and make a package with a handwritten note, saying in what ways you are grateful for their presence in your life.
BEST FOODIE GIFTS FOR 2021
I figured I would start with the knife in my featured image. Hands down, as one who teaches cooking classes and works with food for a huge portion of my living, fatigue and overuse are things I try to avoid and one great way to do so is with well balanced knive that are light in the hand as well. My global knives are prized possessions in my kitchen and so much so that I do not like cooking without them. This three knife set is a really great value. If you want to go all out, buy a global knife block but I prefer to buy a small kit and build upwards based on preference and usage. I use a magnetic metallic strip to hang my knife.
Whether you can attend in person or virtually, book/gift our 5-star Caribbean Cooking Class or sign up to take our Virtual Cooking Course. Learn to cook from scratch and cook anything so you will never have to be a slave to cold takeout. Our classes are also available in groups for relationship build- both corporate and personal.
This French Staub Cast Iron teapot will keep your teas and tisanse hot so you will never have to drink another cold cup of tea while you are enthralled in your conversation. This design is very modern with clean lines and it comes in an assortment of shiny, enamel led bright colours as well as a more reserved grey. Click on image to purchase.
Known for their strong and elaborate tea culture, the Japanese have made the serving of tea a high art. One thing in their arsenal is a cast iron teapot and kettle. This is more a traditional design and comes in different sizes. Click on image to purchase.
I bought this Alessi of Italy famous Whistling Kettle because it was my gift to myself and such a prized collector’s item. It is a fine piece for the discerning tastemaker and collector. Other Alessi collector’s pieces are also in my shop. Click on image to purchase.
This Le Creuset cast iron cookware set is perfect for the person who has been cooking all your meals, even if that person is you! But seriously, what an incentive to stand up and cook delicious meals. Available in several colours, you can select the one that suits the taste, decor and personality of the one being gifted. Click on image to purchase.
I personally bought a 10 piece All Clad set as a wedding anniversary gift several years ago. This has turned out to be a great investment not only because they have outlasted the marriage, but because they also brought great meals and good times and memories to our family table and continue to do so. Somethings do not last forever, but for every great kitchen, there is All Clad. Made in America. This is a great stater kit and quite a steal at this price! Click on image to purchase.
This three pot All Clad set is perfect for the college student, graduate or single person starting out or even a couple. Just be sure to gift a few cans of Barkeepers’ Friend along with it. It is also a great and cost effective way to transition to getting better quality pots and leveling up from cheap pots that burn everything into a crisp. Click on photo to purchase.
This All Clad Copper Core Set is perfect for the person for whom there is no budget. How about saying “Thank you for cooking for us for the past 5,10, 15, 25 years and have fun and look good doing so for as long as it brings you joy?!” I don’t know many seasoned cooks who LOVE COOKING would not turn into a happy bawling blubber to see this. Copper is such an efficient heat conductor and helps to eliminate hot spots. Made in America. Click on photo to purchase.
If you want to really take the copper cookware all the way up… you must stop with Mauviel of France. They are a heritage line, making copper cookware in the same family since the 1700s and they are simply the best at it. Get this Mauviel Frying Pan and get any other Mauviel copper specialty pans in my store because I have curated the best. Ideally, 2.5mm thickness for commercial pans is ideal but for home use, 1.5mm is fine and will still last for generations. If you can only get one piece, get this 2.5mm frying pan. Be sure to get their Copperbrill cleaner to keep them looking like the showpieces they were created to be and even hang them for display in a rustic modern or traditional farmhouse or Mediterranean design. Click on image to purchase.
The seasoned cook needs this Mauviel Copper Roasting Pan with Roasting Rack in their life like now! It’s roasting season, and what greater way to give an early gift that will actually be the gift that keeps on giving! How amazingly well will your turkey and ham and other large meats roast (and look) in this? Seriously, such a perfect gift! Click on image to purchase. You can also get Mauviel Stainless Steel version from my store.
Very few things scream HOLIDAYS louder than this Staub of France Cocotte! You can get it in a festive red or so many other colours. It enameled and preseasoned so you do not have to worry about upkeep. I have two of these in different sized and only wish I had bought more. They are picture perfect from stove to oven and straight to table and make a pretty presentation while serving double duty of keeping the food warm while something else takes forever to cook. Click on the image to purchase.
For a budget cast iron pot, this Lodge Cast Iron Dutch Oven is strikes just the right balance between style and pocket. It is also enameled and pre-seasoned. Note that unlike Staub and Le Creuset who make all their Cast iron cookware in France, Lodge only makes their non-enameled pots and pans in the USA. So this and all like it is made in China. For some that is a high deal worth mentioning as some have said that the labeling on the Lodge listing made it seem otherwise. I believe it states it in the small print, but I am saying here so you don’t come for me later on if that is a big deal for you. Click on the image to purchase.
This Staub Oval Cocottte is exactly how you level up a roast chicken. Yes a roast chicken level up issa ting. But seriously though, a great way to book cook and serve a roast chicken, when on the stove or in the oven then place it on a trivet directly on the table to serve family style one it has cooled a little. Just remember to tie napkins around the handles or let pan cool down to a safe temperature. Click on the image to purchase.
For the person who loves smoothies, or who is always hinting not so subtly, “I wish I had a Vitamix” when something didn’t blend just right in a lesser blender. Le sigh. Make those wished come true all the way through and just buy it. I prefer this commercial version because I tend to fancy commercial models over consumer models but if your top cupboards are low, then you can opt for a model with a shorter and wider blender cup. This is also a great gift for a chef. Click on image to purchase.
This Brushed Metallic Kitchen Aid line is for the highly discerning foodie who places high regard on a a metallic aesthetic and is not afraid to drop some serious dough on it. You can get a regular one for half the price as this by the way in the traditional colours but these metallic ones are limited and premium and so picture perfect! Click on image to purchase.
If I could pick one thing that has gotten the most use in my kitchen, it is my Bamix handblender. I chose the commercial grade over the consumer because of higher wattage and more power making light work of anything. So many recipes on this blog have been created with this matchine. I would suggest to buy the blender cup as well separately. Wash up is so easy and convenient and it comes in handy when you have a young child! So this would be great for an expectant foodie mom who wants to make her own baby food as well or just about anyone who cooks. Great for chefs too because it is the quality they are used to. Click on image to purchase.
This Magimix Food Processor is French made by Robot Coupe, the same company that makes the best commercial food processors. This is the perfect gift for a serious foodie or one who has a part time food business in the home or otherwise or Meal Prep Mamas and Papas who are serious about large batch cooking. This motor is no joke. I own one of these. Click on image to purchase.
Air Fryers are all the rave in 2021 and this Ninja Airfryer is a best seller and one to beat. It is amazing and makes so many dishes more practical especially for those with dietary restrictions. I have seen so many really amazing things being done in an air fryer this year that I looked into getting one myself. And that leads me to my next favourite thing. Click on the image to purchase.
I have used my WMF pressure cooker for years until somehow, it was punctured. I tried replacing it twice, with two lesser than pressure cookers, which do nothing but waste my gas and time. So, I needed a pressure cooker. I also have been looking at air fryers. So this combination is literally what my own foodie dreams are made of. This Ninja Foodi Deluxe QT 9-in-1 is the best kitchen purchase I made all year! It is BOSS! I totally need to create a review on my Amazon Store. You can make yogurt, air fry, pressure cook, and set it and forget it! I also love that it provides another cooking station because you can make so many dishes in it- even dessert so when your oven is occupied and you are cooking on all the burners you have, this allows you to have another dish hissing away. Click on image to purchase
Gifts Under $100
How cute are our Merch! We have just launched our own Merch store which has an assortment of cool aprons and other items for everyone in the family. Be a beacon of light by buying and gifting Chef and Steward Merch. Be sure to shop for yourself and also gift all your foodie friends. We ship internationally.
Never underestimate the power, efficiency and impact of a Microplane Zester in the life of a foodie who does not own one. This is why I will be giving it away for a gift for my YouTube Subscribers. It is so useful for zesting citrus and hard cheeses. Zesting with this Microplane produces light zest without the bitter pit. Using it to grate hard cheeses produces light airy shreds so yo can buy better quality hard cheeses and use less, which gives greater bang for each.
This Alessi Anna G. Corkscrew wine opener is the perfect illustration of the Alessi aesthetic of modern Italian design which fuses form and function into beuaiful pieces that are worth displaying and collecting, even whilst being highly functional. Click on image to purchase.
This Staub Ceramic Baking Dish Set is beautiful and functional and comes in at an alarmingly good price. You can also select from a wide range of colours. This makes oven to table a beautiful things indeed! Click on image to purchase.
Because this is what self care looks like for the coffee lover or tisane/herbal tea lover. How beautiful is this and perfect as a corporate gift for your B2B clients who have stuck with you in a very challenging year. And for me too. I have one in the classic stainless steel but this is just stunning! Click on image to purchase a few for those who deserve a great way to enjoy their favourite hot drinks in fine style!
This Bodum Pour Over Coffee Maker with Permanent Filter is the BIGGEST STEAL YET! Would you believe that this thing comes in at $18? So create bang for buck with this gift for the coffee lover! It may
also be used for loose leaf tea.
For the baker, this is the perfect gift and such a mind-blowing price. At only $18, you get 4 ceramic ramekins,a wire rack and perfect square 8×8” pan, creating the perfect ban Marie for Creme brûlée as well as a pan that can be used for brownies and other baking and ramkeins that are perfect for both sweet and savoury baking!
This Staub Ceramic Baking Dish is beautiful and functional and comes in at an alarmingly good price. You can also select from a wide range of colours. This makes oven to table a beautiful things indeed! Click on image to purchase.
MY FAVOURITE FOODIE GIFT FOR 2021 AND BEYOND… A FARMBOX SUBSCRIPTION (BELOW)
And last, but not least, how about the gift that keeps on giving. As in monthly… supplying a box of farm fresh produce to someone or a family your love with organic ingredients to help them on a monthly basis? Boxes are available in different price points and you can even order a juicing box! How about selecting a senior citizen who could use the added nutrition? It could be a parent or a relative or a teacher who has been a huge support to your kids and family throughout the pandemic. This is really a gift that can bless just about anyone because we all have to eat and eating organic, nutritionally dense foods helps to boost our immune system in ways no vaccine can. Of all the gifts, this is one that is closest to my heart. Because this is a random act of kindness that anyone can pay forward to any family based in the US. Click on any of the images to set order and send to whoever you choose. Use coupon code: CHEFANDSTEWARD for 10% off your first order.
Amy Liu Dong says
Wow! You have such an awesome list of foodie gifts to choose from. Everything is very essential to our kitchenware and they all looks mesmerizing. Loved it!
Chef and Steward says
Thanks so much Amy. I did take my time to make these selections. Happy you like them as well.
Mama Maggie's Kitchen says
Wow! This is such a great list of foodie gifts. I wanna receive some of those haha! But I really love that Le Creuset cast iron cookware set!
Chef and Steward says
Wouldn’t that be amazing? Send this post to those who are buying you gifts so they know what to get you!
Jacqueline Debono says
I love copper and cast iron cookware. My Creuset Dutch oven is the most used piece of cookware I have and I’m dying to get more from them!
Chef and Steward says
I love my Staub and use them all the time. Copper is just sweet. I feel like I need to double the size of my kitchen and put my living room outdoors just to hold all the things I want ideally (my house is on the very small side).
Bahl says
wow, such a great post. The ideas are indeed lovely to give as gifts for foodies like us. Like the idea really very much. Thanks for the share.
Chef and Steward says
Thanks much. I have been doing these for a while. Hope you get things you actually like!
Ramona says
I love the variety of different cookware you recommended! I cant choose if i had to pick one, i would have to pick all of them! All of it looks very handy to use in the kitchen. I love it!
Chef and Steward says
Ramona, thanks for noticing how specially curated my list is! Yes it’s so hard to choose!
sugarlovespices says
That is an awesome collection of foodie gifts!! Being Italian, I am partial to Alessi, which I own and love!
Chef and Steward says
I am sure you were happy to see Alessi on the list. I have Alessi items in my own home as well and those things on the list I also own. Thanks for giving your stamp of approval all the way from Italy!
Jamie says
Love all these ideas for gifts!! I think my favorite is the cast iron teapot since I’m a huge fan of tea. I might just get this for myself. Thanks for the ideas!
Chef and Steward says
Thanks ever so much! I hope you do. After the year we have had, a nice cast iron teapot for a tea lover is a fine treat!
Ahead of Thyme says
What a great collection of foodie items. I have many of these items and love them
Chef and Steward says
Thanks for endorsing my specially curated list with the fact that you have, use and love manny this I have on it! A great testimonial!
Lauretata says
I need so many of these in my kitchen! Such a great collection of good quality kitchen items!
Chef and Steward says
The trick is to start small and work your way up little by little according to what is your disposable income. Remember I have items under $20 on the list as well!
Bernice Hill says
Great roundup! I would be thrilled to receive any item on it as a gift. Foodies are really quite easy to shop for!
Chef and Steward says
Thanks much Bernice! We are for those who are like us
Marissa @ OMGfood says
I usually start my Christmas shopping in October and I’ve started thinking about gifts for some family this year – this is a great round-up for those who love cooking and eating as much as me ?That cast iron teapot is especially making me swoon! I actually just purchased a set of Staub ceramic bakeware for myself and am waiting for them to be delivered. I can’t wait to use them!
Chef and Steward says
Sounds like we have very similar taste! I would love to see your gifts once they arrive!
Umi Tea Sets says
Hi Kari
I am a huge fan of your blog. I am really enjoying your posts, especially this post cast iron tea pots
Very detailed and valuable information. It helps me a lot.
In the process of boiling or brewing tea, iron teapot could breaks down the elements of Fe2 +, which is doublet to increase the carrier of human hemoglobin, providing iron to the human body people needed. Very suitable for the anemia crowd with iron deficiency.
I know you’re busy, so I won’t waste your time. I’m reaching out because I have an idea share to you. I am doing a research about cast iron teapots and planing to write a post about cast iron teapots, can you kindly provide me few tips and guidances in cast iron teapots? By the way, I am the owner of Umi Tea Sets Store. I am Chinese. Our store has many exquisite cast iron teapots, I have picked a handmade genuine cast iron teapot and want sent to you as gift, it come with a gift box. It is totally free, hope you can accept my first gift, and hope we can become friend. so we can talk more about cast iron next.
Thanks for your time and consideration! Looking forward your reply. I will sent you the photos of the cast iron teapot gift then.
Cheers,
Umi Tea Sets
lakita1378 says
This is such a great gift list! So many things that will be perfect for family, friends, and of course myself 😉
Bernice says
Great post! There are so many great foodie gift ideas and I need to start my Christmas shopping soon. Actually, I would be happy to receive these gifts as well…maybe I should send out my wish list!
Allyssa says
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing ideas! Will surely use this again! It’s really easy to make! Highly recommended!
Claire says
Such a great list!! I LOVE the Staub Cast Iron teapot!! So cute!
Sending this to my man…. you never know…. 😉
veenaazmanov says
This is such a lovely and interesting post. I love the collection and wish I could grab one for sure.
Farrukh Aziz Ansari says
Wow, this collection is great! I love all the gift ideas given here, and surely going to gift them! Thanks a lot!
Marisa Franca says
I want everyone of those copper pieces. I love copper and how it brightens up the kitchen. Food lovers couldn’t go wrong with any of these great gifts.
moopbrown says
These all seem like great gifts and are perfect for the upcoming holiday season. Thank you for sharing!
Jessie says
Ah such an amazing list of gifts for the foodie!!
Nicole says
What great gift ideas! Thank you for sharing these ideas!!
Matt Ivan says
Great list and wish I owned all of these! I’ve received good chef knives and gifts and love them.
Ramona says
Wow, these are some really great gift ideas and i cant wait to ty each one of these out! Thank you for sharing this!