The 12 Best Kitchen Gifts for Mom, Tested and Reviewed

If Mom likes to cook, there’s a good chance artisanal olive oil is one of the most inspirational gifts you can give. The Brightland Duo is one of the 18 olive oils we lab-tested, and it contains two bottles of extra-virgin olive oil that we can’t get enough of. The Awake is a bright, robust oil of Arbequina olives and a perfect fit for our Stewed Chicken Legs and Thighs with Fresh Herbs and Olives. With the Awake bottle also comes Alive, a delicate blend of three olives that’s a tasty finishing oil and a suitable base for Olive Oil Bundt Cake.

As a one-pot dinner queen, your mom will swoon for this Smithey Dutch oven. From the vintage-style exterior to the polished, nonstick interior, it’s an unforgettable cast iron piece of heirloom quality. The tight seal formed by heavy-duty materials makes this Dutch oven suitable for crusty Sourdough Country Bread. Its thickset walls also cook up a tender Lemongrass Chicken with Rice.

Grilling enthusiast or not, Mom will appreciate Lodge’s reversible grill pan. It’s safe to use in high-temperature outdoor grills when you want Lemon-Stuffed Grilled Branzino at dinnertime. The pan is also large and rectangular, making quick work of Buttermilk Pancakes, scrambled eggs, and bacon for breakfast. This grill pan is the gift that will last a lifetime, as cast iron can only get better with use.

If your mom loves cheesecake but has yet to buy a springform pan, go ahead and do that for her. Springform pans are round cake pans with removable walls, and they’re just the specialty baking dish any baker mom needs for making impressive desserts like Basque Cheesecake or make-ahead treats like icebox cakes.

If you’re searching for a charming gift to fuel your mom’s caffeine obsession, Food & Wine executive editor Karen Shimizu suggests a moka pot. “My mom is the queen of moka pots,” she says. “She collects them when she travels. When I'm at her house, it's fun to pick among the many moka pots for my morning coffee.” 

Shimizu’s mom owns more than a dozen moka pots. Among them are the Bialetti Venus and De’Longhi Alicia, two strong contenders in our moka pot tests. Our top recommendation is this classic Bialetti Moka Express for all coffee-loving moms. We found it had the most functional design, made the most flavorful coffee, and was the most affordable among the 12 models we tested. Plus, its original Italian design lends itself to a bright and complex tiramisu.

Another appropriate gift for caffeinated moms, the Fellow Stagg EKG becomes indispensable once you’re in the habit of using one. It doesn’t only pour boiling-hot water over quick pantry meals (think oatmeal, instant noodles, and dry soups) — its spout pours water at a controlled temperature and stream into pour-over coffee makers, French presses, and teapots. When Mom needs water for a quick Hojicha Latte or cozy Hot Toddy, an electric kettle heats it in no time.

Have hard spices already ruined the blender cup? Are the mortar and pestle becoming too arduous to use? If so, Mama may need a time-saving pepper mill and spice grinder in the kitchen. Our favorite model by FinaMill utilizes interchangeable pods to make grinding and organizing fresh spices much easier. The next time Mom wants to make Spicy Chicken Curry, it’ll be extra-fragrant. And, sweet desserts like our Orange Cardamom Morning Buns will get a boost of flavor from freshly ground cardamom pods.

Stand mixers aren’t just for moms who like to bake. Yes, the heavy-duty mixing machines are effective at mixing up our Double-Decker Meringue Cake with Summer Berries, but they are also helpful for whisking lots of eggs, shredding chicken, and making creamy mashed potatoes. Not to mention, Mom can add on KitchenAid attachments, including a meat grinder, ice cream bowl, and pasta roller, to make it an even more versatile appliance. Just be sure to collect intel on what color to buy, since this mixer is available in more than a dozen attractive colorways.

Whether a garden hobbyist or a full-blown horticulturist, the mother figure in your life can always use an indoor garden's steady supply of homegrown herbs. The Smart Garden 3 is hydroponic, low-maintenance, and has a small footprint to help Mom get started on her indoor herb garden and keep it within arm’s reach at all times. We suggest growing basil for our classic Basil Pesto as well as fresh parsley and mint for dishes like our Grilled Grape Farro Tabbouleh with Tahini Sauce.

Home bakers are often mothers — that is, mothers of a sourdough starter or quick levain. If this sounds like your giftee, consider a bread machine the best kitchen gift. This magical gadget takes ingredients and makes them into finished bread loaves. During our bread machine tests, the Zojirushi Virtuoso Plus was undoubtedly superior at baking crusty sourdough loaves. It has 15 settings in total, however, that are also suited to quick breads, white sandwich bread, and specialty loaves like Pumpernickel Bread. Plus, when your bread-making mom takes a months-long break from the homemade stuff, the Zojirushi can ferment a sourdough starter back to life.

What better way to show your appreciation than to gift your loved one a tool that saves as much time and effort as a food processor? The Cuisinart food processor is a favorite from our testing and in a handful of our editors’ home kitchens. It’s effective at any kind of blending, chopping, or emulsifying task, from finely blitzing Salsa Asada de Aguacate to coarsely shredding russets for Potato Pancakes. It’s also a durable kitchen workhorse that will stick with Mom for years.

Whether Mom wants frozen custard or yogurt, sorbets, sherbets, slushies, or vegan ice cream, cravings are but 30 minutes away with Cuisinart’s ice cream machine. It features a freezable canister and rotating paddle to quickly churn frozen treats. For frequent ice cream enjoyers, we suggest a compressor-style machine, such as the Whynter Automatic Compressor Ice Cream Maker, to avoid the 24-hour freezing time of canisters.