The Best Food-Themed Mother’s Day Gifts

Finding the perfect gift for Mother’s Day can be tricky: The motherly figures in our lives are all unique. But everyone can appreciate a thoughtful food-focused present. I asked my colleagues Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm and Grace Kelly for their suggestions on the best kitchen- and cooking-related Mother’s Day gifts. Together, we came up with a list of 25 presents we think anyone would be happy to get.

Dutch ovens are one of the most useful pieces of cookware you can have. This one earns extra points for having a sweet-as-pie design and a pretty, spring-inspired color. At six quarts, it’s roomy enough to make a big pot of soup or bake bread, and it’s oven-safe up to 500˚F.

Grace highly recommends these colorful, stackable ramekins—in fact, they baked their way to the top of her review. They come in loads of colors, so if your lucky gift recipient already has a favorite Le Creuset hue, you can match it.

“These bring me so much joy,” says Riddley, who just bought a set of these fun coupe glasses. The bowl of the glass is gently ribbed, like a flower’s petals, and they have sturdy stems and wide bases to safeguard against spills.

When we reviewed cheese subscription boxes (I know, tough job), this offering from Jasper Hill was a standout. The Vermont-based creamery is beloved nationwide, but some of its offerings can be tricky to find. That’s why this artisan cheese gift box is worth buying. It comes with Jasper Hill’s most sought-after cheeses, plus swag and other goodies, like maple pecans.

Speaking of great food delivery options, this prime rib steak is off-the-charts good. Customize your cut—you can choose between fresh or dry-aged for 30, 45, or 60 days—and then read up on our favorite method for cooking steak, the reverse sear. If you really want to score points with your giftee, offer to cook a full steak dinner for them. Don’t forget, you’re responsible for washing the dishes after dinner, too!

All six of these ice cream flavors are worthy of a “do not disturb” sign. That makes them the perfect gift when paired with cozy socks and an entire afternoon free for your recipient to do whatever they like. The pints that come in this expertly shipped (no melting) package are out of this world. My favorites are brown butter almond brittle, cream puff, and skillet cinnamon roll.

Brightland olive oil is a top-tier ingredient. We love drizzling it over salads and bread, and this set comes with two wildly different and delicious oils. One is peppery-tasting and the other is fruity. Upgrade the package with this set, which includes the olive oil and two bottles of vinegar.

Give the gift of better coffee—it’s easier than you think. A grinder upgrade really is the first step to a tastier brew. This one graced the top of our coffee grinders review, and it’s Riddley’s favorite. Of all the grinders she’s tested, it’s the easiest to use and most streamlined. We even used it in the Serious Eats office for years.

I’m going to let you in on a secret. Stanley is dandy, but Simple Modern performed better in our tumblers review for a fraction of the price. It had the best cold retention of every tumbler we tested, and it refused to leak. There’s a dizzying amount of colors available, too.

We’ve reviewed espresso cups, and although all five of our winners were great, this set is special. They’re large enough to accommodate both single and double shots. They’re thin enough that your nose can pick up all the aromas as you sip, and the ceramic retains heat well. These would make a beautiful gift for the mom who considers the morning brew ritual to be sacred.

A bouquet is a classic Mother’s Day gift. But what about flowers that can grace the dinner table for weeks? This set of taper candles from East Fork is made with real dried flowers embedded in the wax. It’s the perfect addition to a nice table setting and would go great with a couple of chic candle holders.

When Riddley and Grace reviewed gourmet chocolate boxes, this one from Hawaii-based chocolatier Koho wowed them. They’re colorful and bright and feature island-inspired flavors, including guava caramels and macadamia blossom honey caramel bonbons.

This quilted picnic blanket is so comfortable that you may be tempted to use it the next time you cuddle up on the couch with a movie. Just as important, it stayed dry when we tested it on damp grass and didn’t blow away on a gusty beach day. Pair it with a picnic lunch, and you’ve got one exceptional gift.

This collection of spices from Diaspora Co. is divine. It includes cinnamon, turmeric, and black pepper. The Peni Miris cinnamon is the most fragrant, flavorful cinnamon I’ve ever tasted (a pinch of it is incredible in brownies), and I like knowing that my purchase helps support Diaspora’s responsible sourcing practices—they pay farmers more than commodity prices.

I once got my sister, a new mom, a magnet that says, “Yay, Tea!” If you know someone who loves tea just as much, you’ll want to check out this article about our favorite specialty offerings. The licorice and peppermint tea from Teapigs was a standout. It was recommended by two of our staffers and has a subtly sweet flavor profile.

There are some pretty cool electric kettles out there, but if your parental person, like my mom, is a traditionalist, they’ll probably appreciate a whistling stovetop kettle. I love the elegant look of this kettle, which won the speed test in our review. (It boils water fast.) It’s also induction-compatible.

Lately, not drinking alcohol is just as en vogue as drinking alcohol. When I reviewed nonalcoholic wines, this sparkling Chardonnay caught my attention. It’s a stunning example of how good a dealcoholized wine can be, with all the bready, citrusy notes you know and love in traditional Champagne. Gift it with a set of our favorite Champagne glasses, and you’re in business.

Orange wine isn’t a common option for NA wine, but this one from Oddbird is worth seeking out, especially if your giftee likes unique wines, like natural wine. Like most orange wines, this bottle has a lightly fermented taste with notes of ripe stone fruit. The only thing it doesn’t have? Alcohol.

These wine glasses are good fun. Your mom will swoon over the bright, bold colors, but there’s more to love about them than just looks. The bowls are made in the balloon style, which is helpful for aerating wine in the glass. Riddley owns a set, and I’ve been eyeing one for myself, too.

Since when is a pepper mill Mother’s Day gift-worthy? Since you discovered the Pepper Cannon, that’s when. It has 75 grind settings and works almost twice as fast as every other mill we’ve tested. It also has an extra-wide top so you can fill it without a funnel. Joy!

Grace found this whimsical sardine-shaped soap, and I’m so glad she didn’t keep it a secret. It’s obviously a great gift for someone who likes tinned fish, but I’m planning on gifting it to my mother, and she won’t get within spitting distance of a tin of sardines. It smells like lemon and sea salt, so it’s the perfect thing to keep in her kitchen, where she can use it to scrub cooking scents off her hands.

If your giftee does like tinned fish, this gift set from Fishwife is a slam dunk. It comes with Fishwife’s new cookbook, one tin each of trout and tuna, a set of tongs specially made for tinned fish, and more goodies. Our staff really loves tinned fish, and we can’t say enough good things about Fishwife.

Terry cloth is a luxe upgrade for your kitchen towels. While these towels left behind a little lint in my dish drying tests, there’s nothing better (or softer) for drying your hands. Here’s why these All-Clad kitchen towels are so good: One side is a looped terry cloth for your hands, and the other is a flat weave, perfect for kitchen tasks.

It’s impossible to hide a smile when you see this bright and cheery tortilla press—the Azul color makes a big statement! It’s also an incredible press, with an 8.5-inch surface that can accommodate big tortillas. It’s heavy and has great weight distribution; that’s what helps it make evenly pressed, picture-perfect tortillas.

With its New Mexico-grown pecans, puffed fava beans, pepitas, and black sesame, Wanderlands offers a fresh look at mixed nuts. This highly giftable set comes with six packs of snack mixes, plus a stylish cotton bandana and a set of pretty postcards. I’ll warn you now: You’ll want to order a few packs of the Mineral Creek Wilds snack mix for yourself. It has crunchy corn and crispy carrots, with just the right amount of spice.

FAQs

When is Mother’s Day this year?

Mother’s Day this year is Sunday, May 11.

What are some Mother’s Day food ideas?

You can’t go wrong with a nice quiche! (You’ll need a springform pan to make it.) A fresh fruit tart would also make a beautiful addition to Mother’s Day brunch.

Why We’re the Experts

• Rochelle Bilow is an editor at Serious Eats. She contributed to the site as a writer before joining the team full-time in 2024.
• At Serious Eats, we review kitchen gear. Our reviews are rigorously tested; we regularly revisit our findings to ensure they are current.
• For this article, we include recommendations from our tested reviews, as well as editors’ picks for the best food-focused Mother’s Day gifts.