Shopping for cooks and food fans is no easy task: They're known for collecting every cookbook, tool and hot new "it" product they desire, all on their own. So here's the secret: Give the gifts they didn't even know they wanted, special items that go beyond the everyday necessities. Whether it's a set of sparkling aqua canning jars, a stunning coffee table book of food photography, or the classic stand mixer on everyone's bucket list, we've got just the right picks for your favorite food-loving friend.
Check out our favorite picks below, and let us know what's on your wish list.
This story appears in our double holiday gift guide issue of our weekly iPad magazine, Huffington, available Friday, Nov. 22 in the iTunes App store.
Lucky Peach 1-year subscription, $28
The Huffington Post
Have a friend who’s kept every back issue of Gourmet and Bon Appetit, but likes to stray from the norm? They’re probably dying for a subscription to Lucky Peach, the creation of the culinary world’s current “it boy,” David Chang.
Buy it here
Buy it here
Complete ATECO Cake Tools, $115
The Huffington Post
Whether you’re shopping for a beginner or an expert baker, trust us -- they’ll want this. A good turntable is highly underrated, and the right decorating tools can be the difference between your cake looking like a 5-year-old’s mess or the creation of a perfectionist. This has it all.
Buy it here
Buy it here
Industrial Kitchen-Aid Stand Mixer with a Glass Bowl, $549.95
Williams-Sonoma
Look, anyone in their right mind has one of these on their bucket list. It’s classic, it instantly improves your cooking and baking skills, and it looks damn beautiful sitting on your counter. Make someone REALLY happy and buy them one of these.
Buy it here
Buy it here
Advertisement
Collapsible Salad Spinner, $35
MOMA Store
For the salad lover who lives a small space, this is a godsend. It flattens into a small disk to save you some much-treasured cabinet space.
Buy it here
Buy it here
Kobenstyle Casserole, $100
MOMA Store
Just as gorgeous as a Le Creuset pot (and cheaper!), this enamel-coated casserole has an added bonus that we’re in love with -- the lid doubles as a trivet when you flip it upside down.
Buy it here
Buy it here
Ball American Heritage Collection Pint Jars, with Canning Lifter & Funnel, $32
The Huffington Post
You know what everyone’s doing right now? Pickling, preserving and canning (yes, seriously). This set provides everything you need to do the job (in style, we might add), and you’ll save your friend endless trips hunting for the hard-to-find jars.
Buy it here
Buy it here
Advertisement
Drywell Meat and Cocktail Prints, $20 unframed
The Huffington Post
New Keurig Rivo, $229.99
Keurig
Ever wish you had a personal barista at your house? Keurig’s new system is probably as close as you’re gonna get. It makes your espresso in the traditional Keurig way, but also froths and heats up milk so you can mix up your favorite custom cappuccinos and lattes.
Buy it here
Buy it here
The Photography Of Modernist Cuisine, $102.75
The Huffington Post
For serious food lovers, this is the coffee-table book that dreams are made of. Taking inspiration from the photography of Nathan Myhrvold’s Modernist Cuisine series, these images are truly frame-worthy.
Buy it here
Buy it here
Advertisement
KitchenAid Pro Line Cordless Immersion Blender, $299.95
Williams-Sonoma
Sick of having to clean all the parts of your blender after you whip up your morning smoothie? Forget about it. This cordless immersion blender gives you the freedom to blend anywhere in the kitchen (or elsewhere, we guess), and cleanup just takes a quick rinse.
Buy it here
Buy it here
15-Inch Traditional Steel Paella Pan, $25
Williams-Sonoma
As cooks, we want to buy EVERYTHING in the cookware category, but sometimes we have to compromise. This is one of those luxury items that we’d normally never buy for ourselves, which makes it the perfect gift to receive.
Buy it here
Buy it here
Krups Wine Dispenser & Preserver, $499.99
Krups
Pull out the big guns for your favorite oenophile. Keep two bottles in it at once, easily controlling the temperature for the appropriate type of wine. Also genius? It aerates your wine and vacuum-pressurizes it to delay oxidation, keeping it good for between 5-10 days.
Buy it here
Buy it here
Advertisement
Support HuffPost
Support HuffPost
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.