We’re Making Our Own Gift Guide for Cooks
There aren't many people in the world that say they "don't like food" in fact it's pretty hard to find someone that doesn't at least get a little bit of joy from taking a bite out of something delicious. Many people have different tastes when it comes to food, some like things on the spicier side, while others prefer to let the savory flavors speak for themselves. And we can't forget about friends who have sweet-tooths, the ones who are always down for a dessert at the end of a dinner night out on the town.
Though no good food would be complete without the artist(s) helping to create the plates, we are of course talking about cooks, or chefs. Cooks have a skillset some envy, (if you are one of those people that say you can't even boil water, we hear you and we love you). Some consider themselves amateur chefs at home, creating meals for the family every night of the week, while others may cook professionally and have work that reflects said talent. Cooks keep us from eating bland, unflavored food, and they make sure everything that has been cooked, is cooked well and safely. We want to celebrate these artists by creating a gift guide for cooks.
That's right. We're here to carve our own path into the culinary world by making a list of gifts that'll be a pleasant surprise for any chef to receive. You may not be the one in the kitchen, but you will be the one to provide some special something to the ones that are. Let's get our aprons on and take a look:
Tools In The Kitchen That Are Always Wanted 🔪
Getting kitchen appliances for cooks, chefs, and bakers alike can be tricky especially if they have been in the game for a while. They might already have trinkets that they love in their kitchen, but there are a few items we’ve found that would happily fit perfectly in there (or serve as a much-needed upgrade):
An award-winning fan favorite has entered the villa. Image courtesy of: Le Creuset.
If you’re a cook then you know immediately what gift we’re introducing first. We started out strong with the Signature Oval Dutch Oven (which starts out at $290.00) from none other than Le Creuset. Le Creuset makes some of the best cookware and bakeware on the market right now and their dutch oven has received so much praise throughout the years that it would be impossible to make a gift guide for cooks and not mention it.
When it comes to cooking, the last thing you want is flimsy products that barely last a few weeks, but with Le Creuset’s dutch oven you’ll appreciate the durability of this product. You can make stews, soaps, roasts, breads, and more all in one pot; it’s oven-safe up to 500°F and doesn’t ruin countertops. In fact this thing can last you pretty much forever so it’s an investment worth making.
Cook safe and cook well. Image courtesy of: ThermoWorks.
Checking the internal temperature of meats or really anything that needs to be cooked (or chilled) to a certain degree is a must-have for cooks everywhere and there’s only one tool that we think is the “best” and that’s the Thermapen® ONE for $109.00 from ThermoWorks.
This award-winning temperature reader gives full readings in one second or less. Yup, you read that right, in less than a blink of an eye you’ll have all the info you need on the dish you’re making. Its accuracy is also commended, ±0.5°F (±0.3°C), and has been used by many famous publications and kitchens all over the world. Plus it comes in fourteen different colors and if you buy 5 or more the price goes down to $99 each.
Keep your knives sharp for the ultimate cut! Image courtesy of: SharpeningSuppiles.
A cook’s cutlery is very personal to them, many prefer certain brands over the others and will have their own collection already at home so buying them one that’s not to their liking would just be a waste of money. However, getting them tools to keep their knives sharp? That’s a great gift.
This is the Naniwa S1 Advance Super Stone which starts at $20.25+ and is a highly-rated whetstone that’s perfect for the kitchen. You can choose the type of grit from: 220 Grit, 400 Grit, 800, 1000, 2000, 3000, 5000, 8000, 10000, and/or 12000. Each stone is 10mm thick, resin bonded, and requires no soaking to start.
Used almost every time you cook so it’s more than worth it! Image courtesy of: Lodge.
We started with a dutch oven and now we’re ending this section with a cook’s favorite: the cast iron skillet. Cast iron is a popular choice for many because of its heat retention- (although it may take longer to heat up, the way it keeps heat is next to none), and because of that it makes cooking easier as you know you won’t have any spots where the heat isn’t getting through.
Also beloved is its non-stick quality, you don’t need to worry about coating the pan, just put down ingredients and go. Plus they are virtually indestructible so the durability means it’ll be a long time yet before you need a new one. Lodge makes a ton of great products including their 8 Inch Chef Collection Skillet for only $24.95. Now that’s what we call a steal! Or you can size up to 10” for $36.95, 12” for $49.95, and 13.25” on sale for $49.90 (normally priced at $59.95).
Let’s Spice It Up And Add In Some Chef Favorites 🧑🍳
There are a lot of spices, seasonings, and ingredients out there that make for some perfect gifts for any cook, especially since they don’t have to pay for it themselves:
The perfect topping to really make those flavors pop! Image courtesy of: Amazon.
Getting someone salt as a gift may seem…odd, but to a cook? They will be beyond happy. Not only is it used in many, many different recipes but it is great to cook with on your own. For instance kosher salt is mainly used to drain blood from the meat, it’s also used as a topping in some cases, and is often used during the cooking process because of its large, coarse grains. Here we have the classic Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt on Amazon for $13.59 for a three pound box. That’ll last the chef a long, long time.
Olive oil and cooking are like two peas in a pod. Image courtesy of: olive oil lovers.
When we’ve done food-related gifts in the past we’ve mentioned the importance of olive oil before and that’s because it can really affect the overall quality of a dish. It’s one of the most common ingredients in cooking and finding actual good olive oil is why we’re here. Many cooks have mentioned Oro Bailen as one of the olive oils to buy for cooking and the Oro Bailen Reserva Familiar Picual for $28.95 from olive oil lovers is the one they go with. From Andalusia, Spain, this mild-intensity extra virgin olive oil is an award-winning bottle that contains “notable aromas of tomato and banana,” and pairs well with basically anything.
Make your pasta dish pop with extra flavor! Image courtesy of: Williams Sonoma.
Pasta truly is the dish of the summer, it’s comforting, it can be made hot or cold and still taste delicious. There are a lot of sauces out there but we have to shout out a favorite food-business of ours: Williams Sonoma. They have their own virtual pantry full of goodies from talented cooks everywhere and here we have their Williams Sonoma Pasta Sauce, Puttanesca for $16.95 for one and $33.90 for two.
It’s made with “vine-ripened tomatoes and extra-virgin olive oil with Leccino olives, capers and anchovies, spiced with a dash of red chile peppers.”
You always gotta add a little more something special to your dish to really get it going. Image courtesy of: Williams Sonoma.
And now that you’re here it’s time to 🎵 ‘Spice Up Your Life’ 🎵 with another banger of a product from Williams Sonoma: the Trisha Yearwood x Williams Sonoma Mini Seasoning Set for $29.95 for a single and $59.90 for double. These spices and seasonings have a wide range which means they can be used for anything from meat to popcorn.
The spice set comes with Trixie Dust (which is a mix of sweet and savory), Trixie Garlic Powder, Trixie Vinegar Pepper, and Trixie Sugar Shake.
Quick Gifts You Can Get The Chef While They’re In The Kitchen 🎁
We’ve loved putting together a guide for our favorite cook(s) so far, but what we love even more is finding gifts where the cooks can control what’s in their kitchen. What we mean by that is taking a look at these gift cards that’ll make a great gift for any chef:
🚪DoorDash: Now you may think: “why would you give a cook a gift card for them to, essentially, skip out on cooking?” Well just like anything that takes lots of effort, we want a break from it which leads us to DoorDash. The cook can pick out what they want from a restaurant they trust and get it delivered to their door as fast as possible.
🛍️InstaKart: Cooking something big and realize you don’t have an ingredient you need but can’t leave things on the oven? No worries. With InstaKart you can have exactly what you need delivered to your door from local grocery stores so you can continue cooking your delicious meal.
☕Dunkin’: When you’re cooking, you can be in the kitchen for a while depending on how big the meal is and what it requires from you; and sometimes you start way too early in the morning. With a Dunkin’ gift card they can get a great big cup of joe to help them prepare for the day.
💸Visa: Instead of being limited to only one store, you can use this gift card at any store that accepts Visa- (which is pretty much any registrar).
We pride ourselves on our Visa gift card experience as you can add a photo to create a custom Visa gift card and get it to you fast. PerfectGift prints and ships our own Visa gift cards, so we can guarantee same day printing & shipping (if ordered by 4:00pm ET Monday through Saturday). Since we are all in-house, no one else can beat our turnaround time because a lot of other spaces use third-parties to get their stuff ready.
PerfectGift.com is all about finding, well, the perfect gift! With hundreds of popular eGift card brands available, you can personalize and send someone a gift in just a few minutes. Pick between multiple restaurants, famous retailers, online subscription services, and more for your first PerfectGift today.
Become the perfect gift giver.
Cooking up this has been fun, but now we have stuff on the stove that needs our attention. Hopefully you’ve found this gift guide for cooks as savory as we have, now’s the time for a delicious plate of food.
