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Just a quick public service announcement: Mother’s Day is this Sunday. If this fantastic holiday snuck up on you again this year (I’m in the same boat), it’s not too late to grab a thoughtful gift. Here’s a list of gift ideas for the chef, baker, coffee connoisseur, and everyone in between. While you may not have time to get something engraved or monogrammed, these gifts still say “You deserve to do more of what you love.”
End-grain wood cutting block
Maybe you’ve watched your mom slowly wear down that thin plastic cutting mat, or you’ve seen her eyeing the blocks at Home Depot. Anyone who cooks a lot at home deserves to have great tools to work with, and a good cutting board can sometimes fall by the wayside. Hardwood cutting boards are a thoughtful way to step up from the worn out plastic ones, but the end-grain cutting blocks are a real treat for the knives. Prized among chefs for their durability without damaging a knife’s edge, end-grain wood boards are a worthwhile investment. (They’ll last a while too, if you care for them correctly.)
Bread banneton
It’s 2024 now, and anyone who hates sourdough bread-baking has long since given up, but there are some home cooks who found a new best friend (and they feed and discard it every day). For the mothers who love their “mother,” a bread banneton will be a practical gift that everyone can benefit from when the pain au levain comes out of the oven.
Chef’s notebook
It might not seem like much, but a notebook is indispensable in the kitchen. Whether it’s for jotting down new ideas, modifying recipes from the internet, or making a quick shopping list, sometimes all you need is a place to write everything down. (As tempting as it might be, the kitchen isn’t always a hospitable place for a computer.) Stone The Chef’s Notebook isn’t just any old stack of papers. It has conversions and measurements in the back, lined and blank pages (for those sketches), and it’s water- and grease-proof.
A good set of knives
This might just be my mom, but that wonderful woman manages to cook up a storm with the dullest knives I’ve ever seen. While avid cooks may just need to sharpen their knives, it’s important that said knives also don’t suck. Instead of resorting to the mysterious knife block gift set—half of the set never gets touched anyway—choose a set with fewer, more useful blades. This set from Wüsthof includes only the important knives—a chef’s knife, utility knife, and a bread knife.
Espresso machine
Coffee-loving parents who have been fussing around with the same irritable drip machine or espresso pods are long overdue for an upgrade. Having an espresso machine used to mean dealing with a noisy, bulky contraption, but they’ve since become more compact and intuitive. Treat them to a miniature coffee shop in their kitchen.
New cookware
A new set of pots and pans is always a good idea. It may come as a surprise to your mom that the bald spot of scraped off non-stick coating in the middle of her pots is a sign they should be replaced. Treat her to a set of cookware that’s made to last.
A mortar and pestle
Fast and cheap electronics aren’t for everyone. In fact, cooking can be a meditative time of doing things purposefully with your own two hands. A medium-sized mortar and pestle is a great size for small jobs like grinding popcorn spices, and making larger recipes like guacamole. For the mom who enjoys making recipes from scratch, try a quality mortar and pestle.
Picnic accessories
Some folks aren’t makers—they’re enjoy-ers. For parents who like to get out and enjoy the good weather with some snacks, picnic accessories are just the thing. This charcuterie board packs up like a suitcase with hidden cheese knives, and the compartments provide a tidy way to keep snacks organized, and elevated away from little buggies that try to share the blanket with you.
The vendors listed here offer quick or expedited shipping so you can get your gift to Mom on time. Just make sure to check the two-day shipping option during checkout.
