Secret Santa gifts for people who love to cook
Someone who cooks already has pans. What they usually don’t have is the good version of the small stuff, or the ingredients they feel a bit guilty buying for themselves.
Kitchen thermometer
The tool that does the most for meat and baking, and the one the fewest people own.
Fine grater
For cheese, garlic and lemon zest. The ones with photo-etched blades cut far better.
Out-of-the-ordinary spices
Three or four good jars beat a rack of twenty that will sit half used.
Heavy fabric apron
Canvas or linen, with a pocket and an adjustable neck strap.
A single-subject cookbook
Bread, pasta, vegetables: a book on one subject gets used more than an encyclopedia.
Precision scale
A must for bread or pastry, where a gram of yeast matters. Get one that switches between grams and ounces.
Flaky salt and good oil
It fits any budget and it gets used up, which is the best thing that can happen to a gift.
Wooden cutting board
One solid piece, at least ¾ inch thick, so it doesn’t warp.
The store buttons are affiliate links: if you buy through them we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. That doesn’t change which ideas make the list.