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2024 Best Modern Gifts for Cooks, Chefs, and the Culinary Curious

11.22.24 | By
2024 Best Modern Gifts for Cooks, Chefs, and the Culinary Curious

With the holidays around the corner, comes lots of parties. For culinary curious friends or family, offering something delicious displayed with something cool the host can keep is a winner move. Whether you are shopping for someone early on in their culinary adventure or for the person who has every cooking gadget, here are several ideas to inspire your holiday gifting.

A tin of California white sturgeon caviar sits on a marble surface next to a spoon. A modern, elliptical dish with a reflective interior is on a black table.

Sterling Farms White Sturgeon Caviar \\\ $119
CHROMA Sculptural Serving Bowl \\\ $199

Showing up with caviar never disappoints. For the ultimate statement, add a uniquely distinctive and functionally shaped serving vessel to put the tin of white sturgeon on ice and shingled blinis.

Left: Various plant seedlings and roots on graph paper. Right: Plants growing in a pot with a large glass orb on top.

Petite Crudité Sampler by The Chef’s Garden \\\ $33
Patella Crescenda Microgreen Sprouting Kit by House of Thol \\\ $63

Sometimes an outfit is all about the accessories. Well, one could say the same about a dish and its garnish. Give the gift of microgreens with a beautiful countertop sprouting kit. And while they wait for their own to grow, some adorable petite crudité will do the trick.

Two modern spice grinders on the left and two jars of peppercorns labeled "Mill Pepper Co Ltd" on the right.

Bodum Geo Salt & Pepper Grinder Set $49
White Kampot Pepper by Mill Pepper Co. \\\ $24
Black Kampot Pepper by Mill Pepper Co. \\\ $20

Give the gift of nuance with black and white peppercorns. Sure, they come from the same plant, but as a result of being dried differently, they end up with a different appearance and flavor. Imagine having a chic designer grinder set dedicated to both white and black pepper that can live on the counter. Let the taste tests begin!

Three glass pitchers with wavy handles on the left; four colorful beverage bottles labeled "cheeky" on the right, set against split backgrounds of grey and yellow.

Wave Pitcher by Sophie Lou Jacobsen \\\ $195
Cheeky Syrups \\\ $15 each

For the person who loves sophisticated cocktails, give a chic glass pitcher with flavored simple syrups to pre-batch bar-quality cocktails at home without making every ingredient from scratch.

A box of assorted flavored miso balls on the left, and a green modern electric kettle with a black handle on the right.

Omiso Vegan Soup Ball Gift Set \\\ $27
Clyde Electric Kettle by Fellow \\\ $125

With several cold months ahead, nothing brings comfort quite like a hot bowl of soup. For the person who loves the ease of instant soup but appreciates design and the months-long miso fermentation process.

A bottle of Tree Juice maple syrup next to a green jug set against a green circular backdrop.

Pure Maple Syrup by Tree Juice \\\ $23
OTTO: Modern Turkish Coffee Pot by Goat Story \\\ €55

For the person who loves serving up pancakes with warm maple syrup.

A uniquely shaped, marbled tray beside a round, rustic cheese wheel on a dark wooden surface.

Ansel Travertine Tray by Nach Vorn \\\ $150
Jasper Hill Farms Harbison Cheese from Saxelby \\\ $25

Were you given a potluck assignment? This is NOT your cheesy charcuterie board. Serve a delicious creamy bark-wrapped cheese on a Dali-esque melting travertine tray.

A geometric, grid-like pattern reminiscent of a chef's precision, with yellow, pink, and white squares arranged in a repeating design.

Desert Plaid Napkin Set of 4 by Block Shop \\\ $70

For the person that loves to set a colorful table, you can never go wrong with a new set of novelty napkins or placemats. The textiles from Block Shop are hand block printed by 5th generation master printers in Jaipur. Made from 55% linen and 45% cotton, the soft desert palette with soft pink hem will add an unexpected and sophisticated pop to any holiday table.

On the left, a silver cake server. On the right, a wooden stand with a balanced glass sphere, apple, and orange.

One-Handed Cake Server by MoMA \\\ $14
Maple Cake Stand by Elise McLauchlan \\\ $140

Since kitchen storage is so precious, it’s rare to recommend gadgets that only do one thing. However, for the person who hosts a lot of birthday parties, this Italian cake server is a must have. Paired with the stunningly smooth maple cake stand and you’re sure to get invited every time.

A long, rectangular charcoal grill on the left and a stack of cylindrical charcoal logs on the right.

36″ Yakitori Tabletop Charcoal Grill by Bincho Grill \\\ $492
All-Natural Binchotan Charcoal Premium Mix Komaru \\\ $108

For the outdoor cooking enthusiast, gift an authentic Japanese-style binchotan grill with charcoal for all their grilling needs.

Follow along so you don’t miss any of our 2024 Gift Guides this year!

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TJ Girard is a sought-after food designer and creative consultant, celebrated for staging theatrical, interactive food + beverage experiences. She now resides in California where her creativity is solar powered! TJ writes the Design Milk column called Taste.