26 Essential, Thoughtful Cooking Gifts for Beginners

The Basics

An Approachable Chef’s Knife

Mercer Culinary 8-Inch Chef's Knife

$60 $39 at Amazon $39 at Walmart View on Webstaurant Store

A super-sharp, well-made, comfortable chef’s knife is the key to the kitchen. Sturdy and versatile, it will get daily use for years and years. We’ve got picks at every price point for the best Western-style (heavier, easier to sharpen) and Japanese-style (lighter, more-skill-required to sharpen) multipurpose blades. 

Sharp Knives Forever

Work Sharp Ken Onion Knife Sharpener

$140 $113 at Amazon

Give them the gift of a lifetime of clean cuts with our favorite electric knife sharpener, the Wok Sharp Ken Onion Knife Sharpener. Although we prefer using whetstones to sharpen our knives, it's a skill that requires practice. No matter how you get there, know that a sharp knife is a safe knife—and a pleasure to use. 

A Weigh-Cool Tool

Escali Primo Digital Food Scale

$27 at Amazon $27 at Target $33 at Sur La Table

Little else can boost the confidence of a home cook like a kitchen scale. This tool assures that you’re measuring accurately. Add a book on baking or a card with the link to an ingredient weight chart, a fabulous resource for cooks and bakers both.

A Sturdy Pair of Shears

Shun Multi-Purpose Shears

$55 $40 at Amazon $55 at Williams Sonoma $55 at Sur La Table

Sharp, strong, comfortable kitchen shears cut smoothly through everything, from packaging and parchment paper to herb stems and chicken bones. Even better than a set of kitchen shears? Two sets—you’ll use them that much. Our favorite pair is from Shun.

A Great Grater

Microplane Classic Series Zester

$18 $17 at Amazon $18 at Williams Sonoma $17 at Walmart

For the finest citrus zest, fluffiest grated parm, and smoothest garlic and ginger pastes, it’s Microplane all the way. Even if they have one, they could probably use a nice, fresh, sharp one. A perfect stocking stuffer, if you ask us. 

A Few Handy Spatulas

OXO Good Grips Silicone Everyday Spatula

$13 at Amazon View on Webstaurant Store $12 at The Container Store

Silicone spatulas are one of those things you just can’t have enough of in the kitchen, whether you’re baking brownies, scrambling eggs, or scraping the last bits of pesto from the food processor. Our top pick, from OXO, is just $12—so give your favorite new cook a few of them, tied up with ribbon like a bouquet.

Wide Open Spaces

OXO Good Grips Carving and Cutting Board

$33 at Amazon $19 at Sur La Table View on Webstaurant Store

A big cutting board is an unbeatable addition to a new cook’s toolbox: More workspace lets you get comfortable, spread out a little, and stay organized. Dishwasher-safe plastic cutting boards (we like the Cutting and Carving Board from OXO,  which is 14.5 by 21 inches) are sturdy, lightweight workhorses.

A Cookbook to Read Like a Novel

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat

$40 $27 at Amazon $27 at Walmart $27 at Target

Between author Samin Nosrat’s friendly tone, illustrator Wendy MacNaughton’s whimsical drawings, mind-expanding flavor wheels, approachable science lessons, and a whole bunch of recipes to put it all together, Salt Fat Acid Heat is like having a friend in the kitchen. (Need more cookbook ideas? Head here for more of our essential picks.)

Essential Pots and Pans

An Heirloom-Worthy Dutch Oven

Lodge EC6D33 Cast Iron Dutch Oven

$80 at Amazon $350 $177 at Walmart View on Webstaurant Store

A Dutch oven is a major asset to any new cook and will last until long after they can’t be considered a “new” cook anymore. We think 5.5- or six-quart models are the most versatile, and the six-quart model from Lodge has been a top performer in our tests.

Our Favorite Cast Iron Skillet

Lodge Cast Iron Skillet

$35 $20 at Amazon $20 at Walmart $25 at Target

Frying pan, cake pan, serveware, heirloom—whether you’re the gifter or the giftee, you can’t go wrong with a sturdy cast iron skillet. The 10.25-inch one from Lodge is a longtime Serious Eats fave (and has a very friendly price tag). 

A Fresh Nonstick Pan

Tramontina 10-Inch Nonstick Skillet

$60 $31 at Amazon $32 at Walmart $33 at Target

Refresh their dinged-up nonstick pans and they’ll thank you with every scrambled egg. This one, from Tramontina, is oven-safe to 400°F, has a removable non-slip silicone handle, and is under $50.

A Cozy, Classy Casserole Dish

Williams Sonoma Essential Covered Rectangular Baker

$80 at Williams Sonoma

For big, cozy bakes like cinnamon rolls, hotdish, mac and cheese, Thanksgiving stuffing, or just piling fresh fruit into, we like this four-quart casserole dish from Williams Sonoma. It’s easy to maneuver in and out of the oven and easy to serve from and clean.

Made In Stainless Clad Saucier

$169 $161 at Amazon $169 at Made In Cookware

What can't a saucier do? These pots have sloped sides, which makes them ideal for whisking and mixing. But they're just as handy for simmering grains and beans. Our favorite saucier is so well-made, it'll last for decades if cared for properly. (No dishwasher!)

Cook N Home 12-Quart Stainless Steel Stockpot with Lid

$40 at Amazon $40 at Walmart $52 at Home Depot

A big stock pot may not be the most alluring gift, but you really can't beat its usefulness. Gift this highly affordable, rubber-handled pot and your giftee will be able to make homemade stock, boil lobsters, simmer chili, and more. We think that 12 quarts is the ideal size for most cooks.

Helpful Gadgets and Tools

A Multitasking Kitchen Timer

ThermoWorks TimeStick Trio

View on Thermoworks

You don’t want just any kitchen timer, but a timer that sits on the countertop, sticks to the fridge, hangs by a lanyard, and will keep tabs on three things at once. This is the sort of tool that might seem like an odd gift until you realize you can’t stand to cook without it. 

An Accurate Instant-Read Thermometer

Thermoworks ThermoPop 2

$41 at Amazon View on Thermoworks

An instant-read thermometer is something a new cook might not buy, but being able to quickly confirm a temperature unlocks confidence and efficacy in all kinds of cooking. (No more sunken banana bread, undercooked caramels, or raw-in-the-middle chicken breasts.) The ThermoWorks ThermoPop 2 is our budget pick for its fast, accurate temp-taking and easy-to-read screen. 

A Super-Powerful Blender

All-Clad Immersion Blender

$120 at Amazon $120 at Williams Sonoma

Imagine silky soups, quick sauces, baby food, chopped nuts, and creamy smoothies in a minute or less, with barely any setup, breakdown, or cleaning fuss. We’re fans of All-Clad’s Stainless Steel Immersion Blender, which is crazy powerful and priced well. It was one of the top performers in our tested review of immersion blenders.

A Classic-for-a-Reason Food Processor

Cuisinart Food Processor

$250 $233 at Amazon $250 at Williams Sonoma $245 at Walmart

Want to make someone’s year? A food processor opens the door to homemade hummus, salsa verde, superfast grated cheese and vegetables, flaky pie doughs, and so, so much more. The 14-cup model from Cuisinart is a classic for a reason—it’s awfully powerful.

Little Luxuries

Fancypants Spices

Burlap and Barrel Fundamentals Collection 6-Spice Set

View on Burlapandbarrel.com

For fresh, exciting spices, we are big fans of Burlap & Barrel, which focuses on single-origin spices from small farms. Its six-spice Fundamentals Collection would be a treat for anyone and a zingy upgrade on familiar flavors. 

Comfy Potholders

Food52 Five Two Silicone Oven Mitts

$40 at Food52

Forget winter mittens: How about a great set of oven mitts? Grippy, comfortable, and truly protective, these mitts from Food52 have hidden magnets for hanging near the oven or stove and are machine-washable, too.

Spiffy, Unfussy Cloth Napkins

Hawkins Essential Striped Dinner Napkins

View on Hawkinsnewyork.com View on Allmodern.com $38 at Food52

Part of the joy of cooking is getting to share meals with others. A cloth napkin makes any meal a festive occasion. After testing tons of napkins, we settled on lightweight, low-maintenance, supersoft cotton ones as our general favorites—and we especially love the spunk of these striped ones from Hawkins New York.

An Easy-Breezy Apron

Hedley & Bennett Smock

$125 at Amazon View on Hedleyandbennett.com

A comfy, unfussy apron to hang in the kitchen and throw on whenever the mood strikes? Now we’re talking. Serious Eats’ associate editorial director Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm loves the unisex smock-style aprons from Hedley & Bennett so much that she has multiple. They come in tons of fun colors and patterns. 

A Potent Pepper Grinder

Peugeot Paris Pepper Mill

$62 $35 at Amazon $69 at Williams Sonoma $62 at Sur La Table

A classy, classic wooden pepper mill is a major upgrade from the preloaded grocery store variety (not to mention, heaven forbid, pre-ground pepper). Our favorite, from Peugeot, looks handsome on the dinner table and will last forever. Gift it with a fresh pack of peppercorns.

A Serious Salt Cellar

Zero Japan Salt Box

$33 at Amazon

Seasoning is a huge part of confident, delicious cooking—and that means cruising through a good amount of salt. A generously sized salt cellar keeps plenty of salt at hand for easy, constant adjustment. We like the Zero Japan Bee House Salt Box, which has a wide opening, an easy-flip lid, and comes in a bunch of colors. Wrap up a three-pound box of Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt (our favorite) to go with it.

A Beautiful Cookbook Stand

Tilisma Wooden Cookbook Stand

$40 at Amazon

A cookbook stand makes it easy to keep a heavy book open to the right page (no frantic flipping with messy fingers). This handsome number looks like a piece of decor, and securely holds your place.

Versatile Finishing Olive Oil

Cobram Estate Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

$23 at Amazon

Give the gift of reaaaaaally good olive oil for finishing cozy winter soups and brothy bowls of beans. We love this affordable bottle made entirely from California olives. It comes with a dispenser tip, ideal for drizzling.