The Best Last Minute Mother’s Day Gift Ideas for Any Mom Who Loves to Cook
Just a quick public service announcement: This Sunday is Mother’s Day. If that fantastic holiday has snuck up on you again this year (I’m in the same boat), it’s not too late to purchase 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 anything engraved or monogrammed, these gifts still say, “You deserve to do more of what you love.”
End grain wood cutting block
Perhaps you’ve watched your mom slowly wear out that thin plastic cutting mat, or you’ve seen her eyeballing the blocks at Home Depot. Anyone who cooks a lot at home deserves to have great tools for the job, and a good cutting board can sometimes fall by the wayside. Hardwood cutting boards are a smart way to ditch worn-out plastic ones, but end-grain cutting blocks are a real treat for knives. Prized among chefs for their durability and the ability to avoid damaging knife blades, end-grain wood boards are a worthwhile investment. (They will also last a while if you care for them properly .)
Banneton bread
It’s 2024 and everyone who hates baking sourdough bread has long since given up, but there are home cooks who have found a new best friend (and they feed it and throw it away every day). For mothers who love their “mother,” a bread banneton makes a practical gift that everyone can use once the levain pain comes out of the oven.
Chef’s Notepad
It may not seem like much, but a notepad is essential in the kitchen. Whether it’s jotting down new ideas, tweaking 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 may 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. The back has envelopes and dimensions, lined and blank pages (for these sketches), and is water and greaseproof.
Nice set of knives
Maybe it’s just my mom, but this amazing 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 those knives don’t suck, either. Instead of resorting to a mystery gift set of knife blocks (half the set never gets touched anyway), opt for a set with fewer, more useful blades. This set from Wüsthof includes only the most important knives – chef’s, utility and bread knives.
Espresso machine
For coffee-loving parents who have been fussing over the same annoying drip coffee maker or espresso pods, it’s time to upgrade your device. Owning an espresso machine used to mean dealing with a noisy and bulky contraption, but it has since become more compact and intuitive. Treat them with a miniature coffee shop in the kitchen.
New dishes
A new set of pots and pans is always a good idea. It may come as a surprise to your mom that a bald spot on the nonstick coating in the middle of her pans is a sign that it’s time to replace it. Give her a set of dishes that are designed to last.
mortar and pestle
Fast and cheap electronics are not for everyone. In fact, cooking can be a meditative experience where you purposefully make something with your hands. A medium sized mortar and pestle is great for small jobs like grinding spices for popcorn or making larger recipes like guacamole. For the mom who loves making recipes from scratch, try a quality mortar and pestle.
Picnic accessories
Some people are not creators – they are enjoyers. For parents who love to get outside and enjoy the nice weather with some snacks, picnic accessories are just what you need. This charcuterie board packs like a suitcase with hidden cheese knives, and the compartments allow you to neatly store your snacks and keep them elevated and away from the little strollers trying to share the blanket with you.
The sellers listed here offer fast or expedited shipping so you can get your gift to mom on time. Just be sure to select the 2-day shipping option at checkout.