Gifts for people who love cooking (that they don’t already own)
Tools that make a real difference in the kitchen, and what keen cooks probably already have.
Keen cooks are both easy and tricky to buy for. Easy because there’s always another tool; tricky because they probably own the obvious ones, and they have strong opinions. The best bet is either a quality upgrade of something they use daily, or a tool they’d never think to buy but will use every week.
Skip the one-job gadgets that take up drawer space. Everything here earns its place.
Photos are illustrative. We may earn a small commission if you buy, at no extra cost to you. How we pick · How this works.
A digital probe thermometer
£ Budget
The single cheapest way to cook meat perfectly every time. Chefs use them constantly; home cooks often don’t own one.
Our pick
9.3/10
ThermoPro TP03H Instant-Read Thermometer
£9.99 RRP
Reads in two seconds and is accurate to half a degree, so the chicken is never undercooked and the steak never overdone.
- Reads in 1–3 seconds
- Accurate to ±0.5°C
- Waterproof (IPX6)
- Magnetic back
- Backlit screen
What owners say: Fast, accurate and easy to read. Several owners say it matches thermometers costing far more.
Available at Amazon – check today’s price See our top 5 meat thermometers →A fine grater and zester
£ Budget
For citrus zest, parmesan, garlic, ginger and nutmeg. Once they’ve used a really sharp one, they’ll use it daily.
Our pick
9.3/10
Deiss PRO Zester and Fine Grater
£ Under £15
Razor-sharp and far easier than a box grater: parmesan, citrus zest, garlic and ginger in seconds.
- Razor-sharp steel blade
- Non-slip handle
- Rigid curved design
- Dishwasher safe
What owners say: Stays sharp for months and makes light work of parmesan, ginger, garlic and citrus.
Available at Amazon – check today’s price or compare other optionsAn enamelled cast iron casserole
££ Mid-range
Goes from hob to oven to table, and lasts a lifetime. Perfect for stews, braises, bread and slow-cooked winter food.
Our pick
9.1/10
Overmont 26cm Enamelled Cast Iron Casserole (5.2L)
£39.99 RRP
Does the Le Creuset job for a fraction of the price: stews, bread and slow-cooked Sunday dinners from hob to oven.
- 5.2 litre
- Enamelled cast iron
- Hob and oven safe
- Moisture-locking lid
- Heat-resistant handle covers
What owners say: A brilliant casserole for the price, great on gas and in the oven, and big enough for a sourdough loaf.
Available at Amazon – check today’s price or compare other optionsA quality chef’s knife
££ Mid-range
The one tool every cook uses the most. A properly sharp, well-balanced knife transforms prep.
Our pick
9.1/10
PAUDIN 20cm Chef’s Knife
£32.85 RRP
High-carbon German steel that arrives razor sharp, in a gift box. The one knife that makes cooking feel easier.
- 20cm (8-inch) blade
- High-carbon German steel
- Ergonomic handle
- Gift boxed
What owners say: Beautifully made, holds its edge and slices through everything. Well worth the money.
Heads up: Hand wash and dry it to keep it at its best.
Available at Amazon – check today’s price or compare other optionsA whetstone knife sharpener
££ Mid-range
Keeps their existing knives razor sharp. Many keen cooks find sharpening surprisingly satisfying.
Our pick
9.1/10
KEENBEST Whetstone Sharpening Kit (400/1000 & 3000/8000)
£25.99 RRP
Two double-sided stones, a bamboo base, an angle guide and a flattening stone: everything to get knives sharper than new.
- 4 grits: 400 to 8000
- Bamboo non-slip base
- Angle guide for beginners
- Flattening stone included
- Water stones, no oil needed
What owners say: Works brilliantly and brings tired knives back to razor sharp.
Available at Amazon – check today’s price or compare other optionsA granite pestle and mortar
££ Mid-range
Better than a grinder for curry pastes, pesto, spice blends and dressings. Heavy granite ones grip ingredients well.
Our pick
9.1/10
Silk Route Home Granite Pestle and Mortar
££ £15–£40
Solid, heavy granite from a spice company that knows how to grind. Fresh spices make a real difference to a curry.
- Solid granite
- Heavy and stable
- Easy grip pestle
- Easy to clean
What owners say: Solid, good-looking and grinds spices beautifully.
Available at Amazon – check today’s price or compare other optionsA world spice collection
££ Mid-range
A way to try spices they wouldn’t normally buy: sumac, za’atar, smoked paprika, garam masala blends and more.
Our pick
9.2/10
Tilz 24-Spice Gift Set
££ £15–£40
Twenty-four spices and blends in a smart box, from smoky BBQ rubs to curry staples. Plenty to experiment with.
- 24 spices and seasonings
- Gift box
- Rubs, herbs and blends
- Great for curries and BBQ
What owners say: A lovely variety and great value. The little bottles look beautiful on the shelf.
Heads up: The jars are tasting size, so it’s about variety rather than volume.
Available at Amazon – check today’s price or compare other optionsA linen apron
££ Mid-range
Looks good, washes well and has pockets for a tea towel and thermometer. A nice upgrade from a freebie apron.
See options on AmazonDigital kitchen scales
£ Budget
Essential for baking and bread. A slim, accurate set that weighs in 1g steps is a quiet upgrade.
Our pick
9.1/10
Amazon Basics Digital Kitchen Scales
£ Under £15
Slim, accurate and batteries included, with more than a hundred thousand fans. Baking finally works out.
- Weighs up to 5kg
- Tare button
- Grams, ounces and pounds
- Stainless steel top
- Batteries included
What owners say: Accurate, compact and easy to clean. One owner found it matched the post office scales exactly.
Available at Amazon – check today’s price See our top 5 kitchen scales →A pasta machine
££ Mid-range
Fresh pasta at home is a fun weekend project and a great thing to cook together.
Our pick
9.0/10
Sailnovo 3-in-1 Pasta Machine
££ £15–£40
Rolls silky sheets and cuts two widths of pasta. Weekend project, weeknight fettuccine.
- 9 thickness settings
- 2 cutter widths
- Stainless steel
- Clamps to the worktop
What owners say: Excellent quality, with one owner saying it beats their KitchenAid attachment.
Heads up: Clamp it firmly to the worktop before you start rolling.
Available at Amazon – check today’s price or compare other optionsA good olive oil gift set
££ Mid-range
A treat they’ll taste the difference in, for dressings and finishing dishes rather than frying.
Our pick
9.3/10
November Polyphenols Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
£27.90 RRP
An organic early-harvest oil, lab-tested for polyphenols, with a peppery, grassy kick. For drizzling, not frying.
- Organic
- Early harvest
- Lab-verified polyphenols
- Peppery, grassy flavour
What owners say: Some of the best olive oil they’ve tasted, with a lovely peppery kick. Many buy it again.
Available at Amazon – check today’s price or compare other optionsThe Flavour Thesaurus
££ Mid-range
A much-loved book about which flavours go together and why. Inspiring for anyone who likes to cook without recipes.
Our pick
9.4/10
The Flavour Thesaurus by Niki Segnit
£20 RRP
The modern classic on what goes with what: a book to dip into for ideas rather than follow step by step.
- Hardback
- 99 flavours, paired
- Ideas and mini recipes
- Great for confident cooks
What owners say: A go-to reference that sparks new ideas and unexpected combinations in the kitchen.
Available at Amazon – check today’s price or compare other optionsBuying for a keen cook
- Quietly check what they already own. Many keen cooks have a good knife but no thermometer.
- One quality tool beats a boxed set of mediocre ones.
- Avoid big single-use gadgets unless you know they want one; kitchen space is precious.
Not quite right? Tell us who it’s for and we’ll pick from all our lists.
Try the gift finderBudget guide: £ roughly under £15 · ££ roughly £15–£40 · £££ over £40. Prices vary between retailers and over time.
