Christmas gifts for home cooks: 11 must-have essentials for food lovers

For the home cook who enjoys every simmer, stir, and garnish, finding a gift they’ll truly love doesn’t have to be tricky. This curated gift guide is full of beautiful, considered pieces that feel personal, thoughtful, and utterly covetable, gifts they will reach for, admire, and enjoy again and again.

From indispensable kitchen essentials to stylish treats that bring a touch of luxury to every culinary moment, each item has been chosen for its design, quality, and effortless charm. Clever, elegant, and impossible to go wrong with, these are Christmas gifts for the cook who values both beauty and function, pieces that turn everyday cooking into something a little more extraordinary. However, there are even some pieces here that cooking enthusiasts will love but can still be purchased on a budget.

Casserole dish

A good casserole dish is the cornerstone of any kitchen, whether slow-cooking a stew, caramelising vegetables or cooking a chicken pie. Durable, versatile and often beautiful enough to go straight from oven to table, the best casserole dishes offer exceptional heat retention and cooking results. I love the ProCook casserole dishes, and I get the most use out of their 28cm shallow Cast Iron Casserole Dish that retails for £65. It has performed consistently across a range of recipes, heating evenly and maintaining temperature throughout slow cooks. Design-wise, it’s simple and understated, which suits both modern and traditional kitchens.

Aprons

Whenever I’m cooking, especially when I’m making pasta sauce, I need to be wearing an apron. There are so many great options on the market, but I’m obsessed with my mixed stripe apron from Damson Madder, which retails for £36. This apron is the epitome of practicality meets style as it’s perfectly sized for daily use and has two front pockets offering convenient storage, while its striped design adds a fashionable touch. What’s more, the midweight cotton material checks the box for durability, while avoiding the stiffness that sometimes comes with other aprons.

For those looking for an apron a little more budget-friendly, practical, and stylish, ProCook has a fantastic striped apron that retails for £10, which is typically £17. This one comes in seven different colours, but my favourite has to be the green one.

Knives

Don’t let your loved ones struggle with a dull knife anymore. A sharp, good-quality knife is a true game-changer in the kitchen. I’ve recently been using the Hasegawa Gyuto Knife from the Japanese Knife Company, and I’ve never used a knife quite like it. It’s lightweight but extremely powerful and makes filleting chicken and fish, something I’ve struggled with before with my knives, a dream. Not only does the knife perform well, but it also comes in a sleek gift box that comes in handy when storing too. 

The Japanese Knife Company also have many luxurious knife sets that home cooks or budding chefs will love, like their three-piece Masamune Nashiji Knife Set or their four-piece Magoroku Saku Knife Set.

Butcher’s block chopping board

A good-quality chopping board is a must in any kitchen, and this two-in-one Wooden Butcher’s Block from M&S in collaboration with chef Tom Kerridge is one of the best I’ve tried. One side features two built-in sorting compartments, while the other side has a juice flute to help maintain a clean workspace. Retailing for £50, it’s the perfect workspace for tackling all your meal prep, and it’s so well-made and durable that it will last for many years to come. It’s also beautiful enough to display on your kitchen counter long after the holidays have ended.

Meat thermometer 

Thermometers make cooking chicken and beef so much easier, and this speedy instant-read thermometer that retails for £29.99 down from £39.99 on Amazon has become a staple for me. It’s reliable, accurate, and durable. It’s also compact and easy to store in any kitchen drawer, always at the ready to check doneness with pinpoint precision. The only difficult choice with this purchase is deciding on a colour.

Olive oil and sea salt 

If there were ever perfect ingredients to buy a cooking lover at Christmas, sea salt and good-quality extra virgin olive oil would be it. Maldon Sea Salt is my go-to as this high-quality finishing salt adds a special touch to dishes like – I particularly love it on my scrambled eggs. You can pick up a Maldon Salt gift set from Amazon for £10.99, which comes with three of their much-loved flavours: sea salt, chilli sea salt and garlic sea salt.

I’m a fan of the Galantino Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which comes in a gorgeous green splatter ceramic bottle. The oil is from one of Italy’s oldest olive-growing regions and doubles up as a piece of art for your kitchen. This olive oil retails for £35 at John Lewis and makes for the perfect gift as each jar is lovingly decorated by hand, so you’ll find every bottle is unique and has its own character.

Coffee machines

I take pride in making a lot of things in my kitchen, and a good espresso is one of them. The feeling of pulling your own espresso shot is unbeatable. I’m particularly a big fan of the Sage Barista Express Espresso Coffee Machine; it’s easy to use if you’re a beginner, but can also flex your barista skills if you want, and most importantly, it makes for great-tasting coffee. While it is on the pricey side, retailing between £629 and £597 at AO.com, it is an investment that is sure to impress and will get daily use out of. Although there are cheaper coffee machines on the market, they don’t all offer barista-style results like they claim to do.

Recipe journal 

I’m a big fan of jotting down my favourite recipes, and what better place than in a recipe journal. I particularly love this hardback dark green recipe journal from Papier that’s decorated with fruit and vegetables on the front and back cover. Keen cooks can fill the pages with family recipes to enjoy for years to come. The next generation can flip through the pages and discover secret ingredients and cooking tips. The £24.65 journal has sections for breakfast, lunch, dinner and even dessert recipes. What’s more, towards the back of the recipe journal, useful measurements and conversions are available, especially when it comes to oven temperatures.

Salt and pepper mills

If you’re after salt and pepper mills that function well but don’t forgo aesthetics, look to Addison Ross. While they are on the spenny side, they have the most adorable lacquered bobbin grinders to use for either salt or pepper. I’m obsessed with the khaki multi bob design; however, this one was quick to sell out. My second favourite has to be the sage multi bob design. They also make for an excellent table topper or kitchen decor with their hand-polished finish and punchy profile.

Pasta-making kit

Every home cook needs to know how to make pasta from scratch, and what better way to learn than with the help of a pasta-making kit? One of the best ones out there is the Ultimate Pasta Making Kit from Pasta Evangelists that costs £65. It comes complete with all the tools and ingredients needed to craft a range of all the iconic pasta shapes. Along with the tools and two different types of flour, the kit also contains recipe cards to make everything. To get started, simply throw on the linen apron that’s included and look to your recipe cards for instructions.

Dinner plate set

Perhaps the home cook in your life is looking to update their dinnerware this Christmas. This 12-piece dinner plate set from M&S caught my eye with its organically shaped design. The plates all have a timeless glaze that gives the individual pieces their own unique look. Coming in two colours, taupe and blue, this 12-piece set retails for £56, currently down from £80.