Holiday Gifts for Foodies & Home Cooks From a Foodie & Food Editor (For Every Budget) by Donna John

Cooking is not something I do to just nourish my body – the act of cooking and preparing food also nourishes my soul. If you have a home cook or foodie on your holiday shopping list, this foodie is going to share some of her favorite things with you. Let me help you wrap up that shopping list so you can get back to baking those Christmas cookies, preparing those holiday dinners and making fun food gifts for friends and family!

Boxxle Wine Dispenser

Want to really impress your wine-drinking friends and family? Give them a Boxxle wine dispenser! This sleek countertop dispenser keeps wine fresh for up to six weeks after opening. You simply insert the bag from a box of wine, push down on the patented life mechanism and the wine is good to go.

Sometimes I hesitate about opening a bottle of wine because I'm not sure if I can finish it before it starts to taste off. Now, I can have a glass of wine with dinner and know the rest will stay fresh for other nights I want to sip a glass of vino. How fun would this dispenser be at your next wine party, bunco night or family get-together?

Photos courtesy of Boxxle.

Coffee Flavorings

I'm a new coffee drinker, so I love experimenting with new products that enhance my coffee experience. Sugar is something I don't eat a lot of, so I don't want sugar in my coffee flavorings. Enter Coffee Dust from Vashon. Coffee Dust gives flavor to coffee using only spices and has no sweeteners. There are so many flavors to choose from – Captain's (cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.), Healthful (cinnamon, turmeric, etc.), Gingerbread, Hot Momma (cocoa, cayenne, etc.), Cocoa Calm (cocoa, lavender, etc.) and Spicy Papa (cinnamon, cayenne, etc.) – so you can change things up each morning. Plus, there are other ways to use it (see photo below).

Photos courtesy of Vashon.

Another option is to check out all the different coffee flavorings available on Amazon and build your own unique box or basket for that coffee lover.

Cookies

If you have a cookie lover on your holiday shopping list, consider a cookie box or subscription. My favorite right now is Bell's Cookies. These soft cookies are delicious! Everything is baked fresh with the highest-quality ingredients, and the recipes are fun and creative. With flavors like Colombian Corn, S'mores, Chocolate Chunk, Black Cocoa Crinkle, Ginger Molasses, Cookie Butter, Red Velvet, Pistachio Citrus, Peppermint Cornflake, Vegan Chocolate, Eggnog Snickerdoodle and Christmas Confetti, there is something for everyone. Build your own box or get crazy with a surprise box of random flavors.

Photos courtesy of Bell's Cookies.

Want to get more hands-on? Pick some of our holiday cookie recipes and get to baking!

Bread Bag

Baking has become an obsession with many again. Homemade bread recipes are always popular and trend on 30Seconds. If you have a baker on your holiday list, we love The Keeki Bag from Keeki, which was invented as a natural way to store bread. The beeswax-lined linen bag is easy to use and allows the bread to breathe and stay fresher longer. Jan Mostrom, our seasoned baker, loves it!

Photos courtesy of Keeki.

Air Fryer

People who jumped on the air fryer wagon when they first become popular may need a newer model this year. My favorite air fryer is my dual zone air fryer from Midea. This innovative air fryer lets me cook two different dishes at the same time. The cooking area is also bigger and allows me to make larger meals (6 quart on top and 5 quart on the bottom). The air fryer can also communicate with Google Home, my smartphone and Alexa. All my air fryer recipes have been a success in this machine.

Photo courtesy of Midea. 

Spices

Spices are my weakness. Can someone who loves to cook (or eat!) have too many spices? Consider giving a spice subscription where your recipient gets a new spice every month. You can also buy an assortment of spices and make a big box or basket. My favorite spices right now are from Curio Spice Co., which is women owned and mission driven. Their mission is to "improve the lives of spice farmers by directly sourcing from small, sustainable farms. Inspire culinary creativity by crafting blends that celebrate unique flavors from around the world. We value organic, fair trade ingredients, supporting women and enriching our local community – and making sure we all have the chance to eat well." They even offer a "secret spice society" (aka spice subscription).

Photo courtesy of Donna John.

Now this is a fun gift idea for spice lovers: the 24 Spices of India Advent Calendar from VAHDAM. We're not talking a smidgen of spice in each day, but a whole, full-size container. Oprah, Ellen Degeneres and Mariah Carey love it, too. How can you go wrong?

Photo courtesy of VAHDAM.

You could also troll Amazon and pick a variety of any brand of spices.

Le Creuset 

My wonderful colleague and friend, Elisa Schmitz, sent me a wonderful assortment of Le Creuset cookware for my birthday. Wow! Now I am one of those who cannot say enough about Le Creuset. Someone who loves to cook or is just learning would be overjoyed with a piece of this French cookware. The cookware is handcrafted in France with only the best materials. The even heat from the enameled cast iron will help your special home cook create delicious meals. Plus, there's a color for absolutely everyone!

Photo: Bigstock

There are more inexpensive brands of cast iron cookware available, too, for every budget.

Food Processor

Food processors can help take an ordinary meal to extraordinary. A new home cook without one may not even know what they're missing with this kitchen appliance. Surprise them and let 'em know! My favorite food processor is my Breville food processor. According to Breville, "precision makes perfect." I agree. This machine will help cooks cut, chop, peel and dice like a pro.

Photo courtesy of Donna John.

Espresso Maker

As I said before, I am new to the coffee game. My daughter, who is an amazing cook, surprised me with an espresso maker for my birthday. Wow! While I was intimidated at first, the Casabrews espresso maker she sent was so easy to use! The price is fabulous on the espresso machine, too. Not only can I create the perfect cup of espresso for my lattes, but also froth milk with the attached frother. I highly recommend this espresso machine for the coffee lover on your list.

Photos courtesy of Donna John. 

Gadgets

I try not to buy gadgets that aren't really necessary. Do I really need an avocado pit remover??? Nope. But some kitchen gadgets and utensils are hard to live without when cooking. Put together a box or basket of foodie-approved gadgets for your home cooks.

Photo: Bigstock

Here are some I cannot live without (or hope I never have to):

• Tongs (Could I cook without tongs? Not sure. You can never have enough.)

• Kitchen Shears (I use them for everything, from cutting herbs, cutting bacon, deboning chicken and opening food packages.)

• Chef Knife (Anthony Bourdain says you only need one good chef knife. He likes Global brand.)

• Cutting Boards (Get a wooden cutting board and a plastic one for meat and poultry only.)

• Whisks (All sizes!)

• Wooden Spoons (What's a kitchen without some wooden spoons? Hand wash them so they last.)

If you're a foodie or home cook, share your favorite gift ideas in the comments section below!

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