10 Clever Gifts for Foodies and Cooks from Amazon — $40 and Under

Looking for clever gifts for foodies and cooks? You know Blog Chef has you covered. Here are our top 10 picks, all highly rated on Amazon and priced $40 or less.

1. Pasta gift set

Guisto Sapore’s pasta gift for foodies includes two types of premium Italian egg noodles, plus two pestos. Your kitchen-loving giftee can add in a protein or vegetable for a complete meal that’s easy and delicious. Consider this a grown-up version of the favorite comfort food, Kraft macaroni and cheese.

2. Grilling spices set

Here’s the ultimate seasoning kit for meat eaters. Urban Accents’ spice kit comes with two grilling spices and three dryglazes. For beef and pork cuts, your giftee can choose from Chicago Steak and Chop or Kansas City Classic Rub. The dryglazes are in less traditional flavors:

• Athenian Herb with honey, thyme, and sundried tomato
• Vermont Grill with maple, sage, and thyme
• Santa Fe BBQ with honey, chili, and garlic

3. Mushroom growing kit

4. Cocktail smoker kit

A cocktail smoker kit will take your foodie friend’s old-fashioneds to the next level. The clever kit includes a torch and smoke infuser, plus apple, cherry, pecan, and oak wood chips. Your giftee will love testing out the different wood chip flavors and seeing how they play with their favorite cocktails. He or she can also use the kit to add smoke flavor to coffee, cheese, and meats.

5. Edible flower planting set

Pretty and edible flowers make a great dish even more special. This kit includes seeds and everything else your friend needs to grow cornflower, marigold, jewel nasturtium, and viola tricolor flowers. They’re great additions to salads, soups, teas, and finished dishes as a garnish. Your friend can also join Garden Republic’s online growing community to meet like-minded chefs.

6. Immersion blender

Your loved one can make soups, salad dressings, smoothies, and even salsa with an immersion blender. This is also an essential tool for anyone who cooks with coconut milk. (You can’t freeze coconut milk unless you have an immersion blender to bring it back to life after thawing.)

This handy device comes with a whisk and milk frothing attachment for even more versatility.

7. Automatic spice grinders

Is the foodie in your life still grinding salt and pepper with two hands?! That’s soooo 2010. Nowadays, the coolest cooks have automatic spice grinders. Simply pick one up (with one hand if you want), turn it over, and the grinding happens like magic.

In truth, there are batteries involved. So if you decide to buy this foodie gift, pick up 6 AAA batteries too. Your giftee will appreciate it.

8. Mandoline

If your loved one does not have a mandoline already, this could be the perfect gift. A mandoline slicer makes vegetable slicing and chopping easy. It’s an essential kitchen gadget for anyone who cook with veggies.

Weltonhm’s mandoline has a safety-first design that hides the sharp parts inside the slicer. It also comes with protective gloves — you know, just in case. Your foodie giftee can select from five slicing thicknesses and two julienne options. This is a versatile, handy tool with an easy price tag.

9. Hot sauce making kit

This fun hot sauce kit comes with 31 pages of recipes and enough ingredients for 10 bottles of hot sauce. Jalapeno, chipotle, and habanero chiles with gourmet spices, apple cider vinegar, and brown sugar are all included — as well as bottles, caps, and labels. The cook in your life will love the opportunity to experiment and perfect his or her own recipe.

10. Foodie dice

These clever wooden dice inspire the cook in your life to new creativity in the kitchen. There are five main dice that specify proteins (including vegetarian and vegan options), cooking method, a carbohydrate, herb, and bonus ingredient. There are also four dice for seasonal vegetables.

Your foodie friend simply gives the dice a roll to see what’s for dinner. The dice might land on grilled chicken with quinoa, thyme, lemon, and squash — or broiled beef with potato, rosemary, and mushroom.

How to shop gifts for foodies and cooks

The right gift for your favorite foodie is often practical and creative. Fun kitchen gadgets are nearly always a good choice — assuming you pick something your friend doesn’t already have. Spice kits and growing kits are another no-fail option, since most cooking enthusiasts enjoy experimenting with new flavors and using fresh ingredients.

To make any of these gifts more personalized, include some nicely printed, laminated recipe cards for dishes that align with the gift. As an example, you’d find fun soup recipes to go with an immersion blender or vegetable salad or zoodles recipes to go with a mandoline.