Do you have a foodie on your list? Strangely enough, it can either be very easy or very hard to come up with gift ideas for food lovers. I hope to make it easy with this article.
First, you need to realize that not all food lovers are the same, so before you buy that “Fruit of the Month” club subscription or box of pre-packaged cookies, take a moment to identify what kind of foodie you’re buying a gift for.
How does this person express their love of food? Do they seek out new food experiences, trying out new restaurants, and buying the newest items at the grocery store? Or do they spend their time creating new recipes in the kitchen? Do you clip recipes and collect cookbooks? Or do they delve into the chemistry of cooking?
Knowing in what way the foodie on your list most enjoys experiencing food can help you choose the right type of food-related gift.
Now that you’ve given some thought about the type of person you’re buying for; you can start to shop! Here are some gift ideas for food lovers that will be sure to please the food lover on your list.
Cooking Classes
A gift certificate for an in-person or online cooking class makes a great gift for the food lover is wants to expand their cooking skills. It is perfect for the beginner, however, depending on the courses available, it can also be good for someone with some level of skill. For example, I wouldn’t be interested in a general cooking class, but I would be interested in a class on how to use a wok or how to frost a cake like a pro. I can do these things – but not very well.
Cooking Magazines
If your food lover is a recipe clipper, then a subscription to Milk Street, Fine Cooking, Cook’s Illustrated, or any of the many cooking and food magazines would make a great gift. Match the magazine to the person’s personality and interests. If they are more of a home cook interested in simple, easy to cook recipes, Taste of Home is a good match. If she is a health-conscious cook, Eating Well might be better. And for those who want to explore the finer side of life, perhaps Food & Wine or Bon Appétit are good choices.
Baking Equipment
Does your food lover enjoy baking cookies, cakes, bread, and other baked goods? Then baking equipment is a good choice. You could pull together your own baking gift basket quite easily and inexpensively. Here are some suggestions.
Bundt Cake Kit – A high-quality Bundt pan, with some wooden spoons, a whisk, and perhaps a box of pound cake mix and a Bundt cake cookbook. (*wink*)
Pie Baking Kit – a good quality (or fancy) pie dish, pie weights, pastry mat, and a pie cookbook. (*double wink*)
Cupcake Baking Kit – A cupcake pan, cupcake carrier or display stand, cupcake liners, and perhaps some wooden spoons. (Wooden spoons make great gift basket fillers for these types of gifts. They should be replaced every so often, so it’s always good to get more.)
Grilling Essentials
I know it’s the dead of winter, but if your food lover longs for summer so he can smell the wonderous aroma wafting from his barbecue grill, you can’t go wrong with a BBQ grilling tools set with a stainless steel spatula, grilling fork, a basting brush, and long-handled tongs. You can even through in a fun grilling apron or oven gloves.
Gourmet Food Basket
Do you have a Cost Plus Imports, Big Lots, or even a Target in your neighborhood? Then you can create a fun and interesting gourmet food basket for the adventurous food lover on your list. All of these stores have sections where you can find gourmet, imported or organic foods. You can even create a themed gourmet basket. For your Anglophile, gather together some British foods such as crumpets, black currant preserve, lemon curd, digestive biscuits, Bird’s Original Custard Powder, and maybe a fancy Christmas pudding.
Calendars for Food Lovers
There are lots of things you can give a food love that won’t contribute to their waistline. I love hanging a food-themed calendar in my kitchen. And, if you go to your local mall, you are bound to find a pop-up calendar shop with plenty of food-related options.
Movies Featuring Food
Food-enriched movies are another idea. Perhaps they’d enjoy Chocolat starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp? Sideways is an interesting film starring Paul Giamatti and features California’s wine country. If they are open to foreign films, Babette’s Feast is a really good French film.
Cookbooks
This one is obvious. For some cookbook gift ideas for food lovers, check out the many cookbooks I’ve reviewed on this blog. If your foodie is diabetic, I’ve created a special page listing all the diabetic-friendly cookbooks I’ve reviewed.
Other Food Books
All food-related books are not cookbooks. Some are about the history of food, others are about the chemistry of food, and some are just about the joy of eating food. There are also food memoirs by both chefs and non-chefs. You can even find anthologies of food writing.
Wrap Up Your List with Food Gift Wrap!
Once you’ve purchased your gift or gift items, you’ll need to package them before giving. You can use a nice basket you can get at Michael’s or find some food-themed wrapping paper and top it with a bow.
