25 Holiday Gifts For The Home Chef In Your Life

The holiday season is in full swing, which means the time has come to hunt for the perfect gifts for all the special people in your life. If you know and love a home chef, a friend who has spent a little too much time watching "The Bear," or a family member who constantly aspires to take their culinary skills to the next level, then we have just the seasonal gift guide for you. 

Instead of gifting yet another embroidered tea towel or an apron printed with a humorous saying, dive into the world of culinary artistry to select a gift that will not only delight the culinary enthusiast in your life but will also enhance the standard of their home kitchen. Some of the latest kitchen tools, artisan ingredients, curated food samplers, and chef attire will bring you the very best gifts on offer this year. This gift guide was compiled based on extensive personal experience and research.

What home kitchen is complete without a solid salt and pepper set? HexClad's tabletop salt and pepper grinder set takes the culinary staple to the next level by offering 10 state-of-the-art grinding settings, allowing home chefs to grind their own coarse black peppercorns or super fine sea salt to perfect the flavor profile of any dish. 

The sleek modern design, in gunmetal and a matte black finish respectively, makes them an aesthetically-minded gift in addition to a functional one. The caddy holding the grinders is an extra bonus for portability. 

Purchase the HexClad tabletop salt and pepper grinder set on Amazon for $119.

Hyun, one of the best steakhouses in New York City, serves mouthwatering cuts of Japanese A5 Wagyu beef. This holiday season, surprise the cooking enthusiast in your life with specialty Wagyu from The Hyun, the acclaimed steakhouse's sister butcher. 

Individual premium cuts are available in ultra-modern boxes and vacuum-sealed, but the real showstopper is The Hyun's gift sets, a curation of the best marbled beef ranging from brisket to ribeye, all adorned in bojagi, traditional Korean wrapping cloth. Our favorite is the Primordial Collection, featuring six tender cuts of Wagyu, including chuck short rib and striploin. 

Purchase The Hyun Primordial Collection wagyu gift set from The Hyun for $300. 

Truffles are one of the most luxurious ingredients you can use in the kitchen. Any home chef will jump at the chance to use fresh truffles in their own kitchen to enhance their dishes. Our favorite truffle purveyor is Urbani Truffles because the company sources its seasonal truffles fresh from Italy, France, and Spain. 

We recommend Urbani's black winter truffles, which are known for their exceptionally strong flavor and aroma. Your standout gift will be shipped overnight and arrive in insulated packaging to preserve the truffle's quality and freshness.

Purchase black winter truffles from Urbani Truffles for $90.

Any seasoned chef knows that fresh truffles should never be grated. So if you plan to gift fresh truffles this holiday season, gift a truffle shaver to go with them, as even the most state-of-the-art home kitchens may not be equipped with one. 

Our favorite comes from Petrossian, a Parisian powerhouse that skyrocketed to culinary fame for its luxurious caviar and now offers smoked fish, truffle oils, and foie gras in addition to upscale kitchen staples. Petrossian's truffle shaver comes in two styles: stainless steel and a sophisticated wood grain.

Purchase the truffle shavers from Petrossian for $60 or $69 respectively.

While there are countless cheese graters on the market, there's nothing quite like Alessi's Todo giant cheese and nutmeg grater. Visually, the towering stainless steel cone with wood detailing makes for a stunning addition to any home kitchen, but what we really love is how efficient it is. 

The design ensures your gift recipient can grate a hearty portion of cheese with a single stroke, which frees up time for the more labor-intensive facets of the meal. 

Purchase the Alessi Todo giant cheese and nutmeg grater on Amazon for $110.

Every home cook has an apron, but what about transitional workwear? When we discovered Tilit, we knew we'd found something special. The brand's entire culinary lineup is filled with chic, functional cooking clothing.

Our personal favorite is Tilit's unisex chef shirt. The contemporary design allows a seamless transition between spending hours over the stove and chefs wearing it outside the kitchen to procure additional ingredients. Some features we love include the large breast pocket with room for cooking staples and an apron strap tab. 

Purchase the chef shirt from Tilit for $85.

Since citrus fruits are the culinary acid of choice for chefs in home and professional settings, no serious home kitchen is complete without a solid juicer. While there are heftier juicers out there, boasting the ability to press large quantities of juice, our preferred juicer is Verve's artisan citrus juicer. 

The 100% aluminum body and the smaller countertop footprint make the artisan citrus juicer the perfect gift for the home chef who also moonlights as a home bartender. For a personal touch, the juicer is available in several vibrant colors.

Purchase the Verve artisan citrus juicer on Amazon for $119.99.

Flakey sea salt has the power to elevate any dish by infusing the right punch of flavor as well as a satisfyingly crisp texture. To gift the ultimate in all things salt, we turn to the boujee Maldon company with a cult following. Maldon is a world-renowned salt maker that sources its salt crystals straight from Maldon, England. 

For the holidays, you can purchase a decorative 3.1-pound tub of Maldon sea salt flakes in a green geometric pattern that is sure to last your home cook for at least the year.

Purchase Maldon sea salt flakes on Amazon for $24.78.

A well-made cutting board is a kitchen necessity. Our personal favorite is the Teakhaus professional cutting board because of its generous size and functional versatility. Ranked as one of the best cutting boards of 2023, Teakhaus's cutting boards are made with solid teak, a tropical wood with an oil content that prevents moisture absorption. Teak's firmness helps protect knife blades and makes the chopping experience seamless. 

For the home chef passionate about the environment, Teakhaus's cutting boards are FSC-certified and 100% sustainably made with teakwood from sustainable forests.

Purchase the Teakhaus professional cutting board on Amazon for $99.99.

When selecting a chef knife, a certain knife material is preferred. Professional and amateur chefs alike opt for high-carbon stainless steel because of its durability for heavy usage in the kitchen and its resistance to corrosion. Opinel's chef knife is made from 12C27 Swedish stainless steel, which is one of the highest quality of carbon steels available.

Designed with a full tang, the knife's steel blade extends the length of the handle, meaning it can stand up to loaves of bread as well as thick cuts of fresh seafood. Instead of having to reach for three different knives during cooking prep, Opinel's chef knife can handle practically any task.

Purchase the Opinel chef knife on Amazon for $90.

The legendary French cookware brand Le Creuset has been a status symbol in the culinary world for nearly a century. If the home chef in your life has recently ventured into baking, the Le Creuset bread oven makes for an excellent holiday gift.

Le Creuset bread oven features the brand's signature cast iron, which ensures even cooking throughout the bread and a satisfyingly browned crust. The domed lid was designed to hold in and circulate steam, which enhances the bread's flavor, helps with the rise, and aids in the overall texture. 

Purchase the Le Creuset bread oven on Amazon for $299.95.

After freshly made bread leaves the cast iron bread oven, the baker who has spent hours tending to the starter and kneading the dough is going to want to keep it warm. Thieffry's Belgian linen bread basket is the perfect resting spot for homemade bread to preserve heat and freshness. 

Dating back to the 1800s, Thieffry is beloved for its Belgian linens. Thieffry's linen breast basket is a gorgeous way to conserve the temperature of freshly baked bread while naturally repelling mold. 

Purchase the Thieffry Belgian linen bread basket from French Dry Goods for $54.

An outdoor pizza oven is one of the best investments you can make to enhance your homemade pizza. Traditional ovens have a maximum heat of 550 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas pizza ovens have the ability to heat up to 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing your pizza dough to bubble and crisp to perfection. 

Ooni is a leader in the at-home pizza oven game and is known for its superior design. Compatible with wood, charcoal, or a gas burner (with an optional attachment), the Ooni Karu 12 multi-fuel outdoor pizza oven makes for a showstopping gift.

Purchase the Ooni Karu 12 multi-fuel outdoor pizza oven on Amazon for $299.

To give the home chef in your life a night off from cooking, we recommend gifting a cheese sampler from Murray's Cheese. The cheesemonger has been delighting New Yorkers since the '60s and now offers curated cheese gift sets for nationwide shipping.

Our favorite Murray's assortment is the Best of France Cheese Sampler with five decadent French cheeses, including Comté, Brie, brebirousse d'argental, chabichou du Poitou, and Ossau Iraty in a beautiful gift box. Need more convincing? Murray's Cheese happens to be the cheese shop that Martha Stewart adores. 

Purchase the Best of France Cheese Sampler from Murray's Cheese for $95.

After a night of hosting with a bountiful cheese platter, home chefs might have some remaining hunks of cheese to store in the refrigerator. Since putting a block of cheese in plastic wrap is a quick way to watch it mold, we recommend gifting Formaticum cheese storage bags. 

Formaticum's reusable cheese storage bags are manufactured in France and have a special porous design that helps prolong cheese freshness. Available in packages of 15, the bags feature space to write the type of cheese and date. 

Purchase Formaticum cheese storage bags on Amazon for $17.50.

Help stock the spice cabinet of your favorite party host with more than just everyday salt and pepper. La Boîte is an artisan spice house selling signature blends of spices from across the globe. La Boîte Lior's Favorites Collection spices gift set features 12 jars of specialty single-origin and innovative spice blends. 

The set includes crispy garlic slices, za'atar, a Middle Eastern blend known for its complex flavor, Vietnamese cinnamon, which is bold and slightly savory, and sumac for a tangy sweetness.

Purchase the La Boîte Lior's Favorites Collection spices gift set from La Boîte for $120.

For the ultimate in decadence, opt for caviar. Excellent when savored on its own, caviar can be paired with blinis or artisanal butter, but don't worry, the giftee on your holiday list will know what to do with it. 

Imperia Caviar is our choice of caviar purveyor because of its superior quality for the price point and its commitment to sourcing from sustainable farms. We recommend Imperia's starter caviar set, which features royal osstera caviar, a pearly caviar spoon, and a velvet pouch.

Purchase the starter caviar set from Imperia Caviar for $90.

If you can't swing for caviar or fresh truffles but still want to deliver an artisanal culinary gift this holiday season, then we recommend Sabatino truffle honey. For a relatively low price, you can dazzle any home chef with the decadent pairing of rich honey sweetness and nutty umami of black truffles. 

Available in an accessible squeeze bottle, Sabatino's truffle honey is the perfect upscale condiment to drizzle over cheeseboards, to mix into your go-to meat marinade, or to instantly elevate any fruit platter. 

Purchase Sabatino truffle honey on Amazon for $27.35.

There are countless ways to cook with butter, but each leads to a richer, creamier, and more irresistible flavor. If you love someone who isn't satisfied with any old grocery store butter, gift them Banner Butter's mix and match 12 pack for an elevated artisan butter experience. 

Banner Butter was started by a husband and wife team focused on sustainable practices. For the health and environmentally minded, Banner Butter has no added flavoring and is made from cows that are hormone-free and grass-fed. The mix and match 12 pack sampler features your choice of naturally flavored butter, including smoked sea salt, lemon chive, and balsamic fig with caramelized onion.

Purchase the Banner Butter mix and match 12 pack from Banner Butter for $75.

If your beloved home chef is also the designated home bartender, then help them elevate their home café game by gifting a handheld milk frother this holiday season. Our top pick is Sur La Table's rechargeable milk frother and whisk, which features sleek stainless steel frother and whisk attachments with a black base that charges via a USB port for convenience. 

The milk frother and whisk can be used to whip heavy cream, frothing milk for rich hot cocoa and creamy lattes, or to prepare French-style eggs. The cherry on top? The attachments are dishwasher safe.

Purchase the Sur La Table rechargeable milk Frother and whisk from Sur La Table for $29.95.

If you have that one friend who won't purchase seafood from the fish market unless it's sushi-grade, then we have the perfect holiday gift for you. Honolulu Fish Co. is a Hawaii-based seafood distributor focused on delivering exceptionally fresh seafood that is sustainably sourced. Beloved by chefs throughout the United States, Honolulu Fish Co. can be delivered straight to your gift receiver's door within 24 to 48 hours to guarantee freshness. 

Our favorite seafood set is the Honolulu Fish Co. Sashimi Three-Pak, featuring 1 pound of sashimi-grade king salmon, 1 pound of wild-caught Hawaiian ahi ultra tuna, and 1 pound of sustainably raised Kona kanpachi.

Purchase the Honolulu Fish Co. sashimi three-pak from Honolulu Fish Co. for $233.95.

Olive oil is a chef's best friend in the kitchen. The versatile ingredient is essential for marinades, frying, and infusing dishes with a rich flavor. This holiday season, elevate the everyday cooking staple by gifting a Graza extra virgin olive oil variety pack. Graza is one of the best finishing oils on the market and is sure to delight any cook who recognizes that all olive oils have unique uses and flavor profiles. 

The variety pack includes two of Graza's distinct olive oils: "Drizzle" and "Sizzle." The former is a finishing oil made from olives harvested by hand that are not yet fully ripe and have a strong bite. "Sizzle" is intended as a cooking oil made with mature olives and offers a mellower flavor.

Purchase the Graza extra virgin olive oil variety pack on Amazon for $42.87.

A tote bag may not be on the top of your list for innovative culinary gifts this holiday season, but what if we told you there was one designed specifically to hold baguettes? Àplat is a small woman-owned company that makes reusable culinary products from organic cotton.

Àplat's baguette tote can hold two baguettes and has an adjustable strap so the wearer can vary their carrying style. Over time, the residual flour from the baguettes works with the tote's material to help preserve baguette freshness. Àplat's baguette tote is an iconic gift for any bread lover and home chef.

Purchase the Àplat baguette tote from Àplat for $42.

For the serious home chef who is looking to tackle a range of culinary endeavors at home including dehydrating, air frying, and broiling, we have an eye-catching countertop appliance for you. The Fotile Chefcubii countertop convection steam oven is a stunning modern device that bakes like a conventional oven, dehydrates fruits and meats, and air fries crispy potatoes with only the smallest amount of oil. 

Combination ovens allow for the ultimate versatile and convenient cooking experience because they don't take up a lot of space but they provide endless culinary possibilities.

Purchase the Fotile Chefcubii countertop convection steam oven on Amazon for $399.

Chili crisp can instantly transform a plate of bland eggs or a bowl of unsalted broth into a nuanced dish. For the home chef who loves spice, we recommend Fly by Jing's variety pack with Sichuan chili crisp, zhong sauce, and Chengdu Crunch. 

The gift set of four Fly by Jing beloved condiments offers versatility and intense flavor. While there are many chili crisps brands available in grocery stores, we love Fly by Jing because the company is woman-owned and uses all-natural, non-GMO ingredients that are sourced directly from Sichuan, China.   

Purchase the Fly by Jing variety pack with Sichuan chili crisp, zhong sauce, and Chengdu Crunch on Amazon for $27.99.

To curate this guide gift, I relied on extensive personal experience and research on curated food samplers, kitchen tools, and artisan ingredients. Considerations included a range of price points to offer affordable and luxury gift options, sustainable business practices, the standard and longevity of each product, and the aesthetic quality of the culinary items.