10 Best Gifts For Food Lovers
Foodie family members and friends are my favorite to buy gifts for. It’s fun; it’s easy and they always love what you get for them since it’s so hard to go wrong here. My list of 10 Best Gifts for Food Lovers incorporates everything from the most spectacular multi-functional kitchen gadgets to actual gourmet foods to experiences the gift receiver will never forget.
1. LE CREUSET COOKWARE.
Why It’s Great: With proper loving care, these kitchen tools last longer than a lifetime. Like fine wine or a great chef’s iconic knife, Le Creuset cookware can be passed down from one generation to the next- holding with it treasured family memories of hearty home cooking. From a technical standpoint, Le Creuset’s pots are made of enameled cast iron, which makes for supremely even cooking (no burn spots) and amazingly easy cleanup. Their interiors all feature a soft beige color, making the task of monitoring your food’s progress actually feasible when compared to dealing with the predominantly black or dark interiors of most other cookware.
Price: Wide Range
Where to Buy: Le Creuset, Amazon
2. GOURMET BASKET OF THE MONTH.
I’m not talking about those tattered looking gift baskets filled with a random assortment of goods that nobody likes. I’m talking about high quality gourmet gift baskets that can specialize in fine wine, fresh seasonal fruits, cheeses or a varietal collection. Most purveyors of these fine gourmet baskets provide you with a choice of a one-time gift, several months or an entire year of monthly gifts depending on your budget. For your foodie friends or family members, this is a can’t miss hit.
Pictured Above- Dean & Deluca Gift Basket
3. TCHO CHOCOLATE.
Why It’s Great: Each piece has distinctive notes blended with Tcho’s signature chocolate- some gentle on the palate, some powerful and lingering with hints of espresso. Every bite of Tcho is a masterful, symphonic moment of love-making on the palate. None are too sweet; none leave those horrifyingly nauseating swirls of mass produced lard-with-sugar taste that most other American produced chocolates are so good at doing. Tcho Chocolates are sophisticated yet unpretentious, simple in their execution of finely crafted confections, leaving us wholly happy and eagerly awaiting the next sensual taste.
Price: Starts at US $6
Where to Buy: TCHO.com
4. KITCHEN AID FOOD PROCESSOR.
Why It’s Great: Clean-up is easy as nothing sticks inside the containers or blades and a quick wipe of the body leaves this stellar food processor in gleaming condition. Whether you want to save time or create gourmet dishes, this is one kitchen appliance that will make you seriously wonder how you ever lived without it before. It’s multifunctional, incredibly sturdy and handles everything from slicing and shredding to making purées.
Price: Starts at US $99.99
Where to Buy: KitchenAid.com, Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyond, Select Department Stores Globally
5. GIFT CERTIFICATE TO A GREAT RESTAURANT.
This gift is a no-brainer. It’s super easy to accomplish as most restaurants have some form of a gift certificate. You want to impress a loved one in another city? Simply search online for great restaurants in their city, pick one you think they’d enjoy, get the gift card via phone or online and voila- without ever having left your house you’ve given that person an experience they will absolutely love, will actually use and can schedule at their own convenience.
Pictured Above- Gramercy Tavern New York
See My Review of Gramercy Tavern
See Reviews of My Favorite Restaurants Around the World
6. BLENDTEC.
Why It’s Great: With the Blendtec a permanent fixture in my life, getting my daily dose of fruits and vegetables not only becomes super easy but also deliciously enjoyable. Going carb-free becomes hassle-free. Indulging in desserts becomes sin-free. Besides the abundance of perks that the Blendtec comes with (outstandingly easy cleanup since the blades and the container are as one and a 10 year warranty), the biggest perk of all is greatly improved health and well being- which makes the Blendtec worth its weight in gold.
Price: Starts at US $280 (Even the lower end is far superior to other brands’ best)
Where to Buy: Blendtec.com, Amazon, Select Stores Globally including Bed Bath & Beyond, Sam’s Club
7. Spice Lab Salts
Why It’s Great: Whether you’re a seasoned home cook verging on brilliant Master Chef status or a once-in-a-while experimental home cook, the easiest and fastest way to elevate any at-home meal is by incorporating gourmet salts. Spice Lab Salts is one of the few gourmet salt companies whose products I love and trust for their astonishing array of salts and their consistently excellent
quality.
Price: Starts at US $5.95
Where to Buy: The Spice Lab Salts
8. Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt & Ice Cream Maker
Why It’s Great: After two months of eating homemade desserts, I noticed that when I was out to dinner with friends, I was no longer tempted by restaurant desserts in the least bit. My body was not addicted to artificial flavors and a mountain of sugar. In fact, my palate repelled those uber rich cakes. Life has gotten sweeter with less sugar and more flavor, thanks in large part to my beloved Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker.
Price: US $90
Where to Buy: Cuisinart.com, Bed Bath & Beyond, Amazon, Select Department Stores
9. COOKING LESSON WITH THEIR FAVORITE LOCAL CHEF.
What does a food lover love besides eating food? Well cooking it of course. Whether you have a loved one who is a great home cook but wants to elevate their skills or someone who is a novice wanting to learn the basics, gifting a cooking lesson with a local chef will be an experience they take with them forever. When trying to research which chef to pick, think first of what genre of food the person you intend to gift prefers. Once you’ve decided on that, research popular chefs in the person’s city to see if they already have cooking lessons as part of their gig. If not, you can always approach local chefs in popular restaurants to see if they’d be willing to do a cooking lesson. You’ll be surprised at how many of them are very gracious about such requests. Prices will vary according to how high profile the chef is and what city you’re in.
Pictured Above- Chef Alexander Ong
10. COOKBOOKS GALORE.
Nearly every food lover I know has a collection of cookbooks they treasure. This is also a can’t-miss gift. Here is a list of my personal favorites…you’ll excuse my bit of self promotion as I’ve included “Indonesian Cooking” by yours truly on this list.
Martin Yan- Martin Yan’s China
Monica Bhide- Modern Spice
Dina Yuen- Indonesian Cooking
Bee Yin Low- Easy Chinese Recipes
Andrea Nguyen- Into the Vietnamese Kitchen
Jacques Pepin & Julia Child- Julia and Jacques Cooking At Home
Ina Garten- Barefoot Contessa Family Style
Thomas Keller- Bouchon Bakery
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