Whether you’re searching for a gift for a beginning baker or an expert, the wide range of products available can make shopping overwhelming. From everyday tools, such as spatulas and whisks, to savvy gadgets and appliances, it can be hard to determine what type of item would work best for the baker you’re buying for. In this guide, we’ve selected the best gifts for bakers based on quality, versatility, and function.
For the home baker who likes to experiment with recipes for fun, there’s a comprehensive cookbook with tips and detailed instructions, or even tools to take their hobby to the next level. Or, for the seasoned baker with years of experience, there’s a stand mixer that’s become a kitchen staple, in addition to other excellent appliances. No matter who you’re shopping for, you’re likely to find something a baker will love in our gift guide below. Plus, you can keep the items you don’t buy in mind for another occasion—or even buy one for yourself!
See Sur La Table Gifts for Cooks and Bakers
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How to Choose the Best Gifts for Bakers
Before you start shopping for the best gifts for bakers, ask yourself a few questions to get a better idea of what type of gift to buy. The following queries can help narrow down your search:
- What does the recipient like to bake? From cakes to cookies or pastries, knowing what type of goodies the baker prefers to make can help identify specific items that are tailored to their preferences.
- Are they a beginning, intermediate or expert baker? Beginning bakers may need more instructional or simple gifts, while expert bakers may prefer more advanced gadgets.
- What do they already own or use? Taking a basic inventory of what tools or appliances they may already own can prevent you from purchasing a duplicate. Plus, some appliances come with extra attachments you can purchase that allow the user to perform different functions.
The Best Gifts for Bakers
You can butter up the baker in your life with our roundup of the best appliances, gadgets, and tools to make baking a breeze. If you’re lucky, they may even share the goodies your gift helped them create.
Gifts Under $25
Photo: amazon.com
Pie makers may find that on a regular basis, the crusts they’ve diligently formed expand or become too puffy while baking, making all their hard work a waste of time. Enter these Ceramic Pie Weights. At just .75 pounds, these tiny ceramic weights help prevent said puffing or expanding from happening. When placed on an unbaked crust, they create exquisite pie or pastry shells by weighing down the dough. This helps the crust stay firmly in place and nestled closely against the pie plate. $8.08 on Amazon.
Photo: amazon.com
Ask any baker, and they’re likely to attest to the fact that a high percentage of recipes call for vanilla. These Madagascar Vanilla Beans, however, go above and beyond grocery-store vanilla by adding gourmet flavor to everyday recipes. These vanilla pods are sustainably sourced from Malagasy farmers. Each pod is about 5 to 7 inches long and includes tiny vanilla beans on the inside, which can be used in baking, cooking, or brewing. And trust us: They smell just as good as they taste. $14.99 on Amazon.
Photo: amazon.com
The Sondiko Butane Torch is a mini, portable tool that can accompany bakers from the kitchen to the campsite. It’s great for caramelizing sugar, toasting bread crumbs, and melting cheese, and it can be used for baking and cooking. When bakers aren’t in the kitchen, this torch can also be used to light fires, candles, or cigars. For users who may be wary of an open flame, this tool’s burn-free finger guard keeps hands safely distanced from the heat. $17.99 on Amazon.
Photo: amazon.com
When it’s time to cool large batches of cookies or other baked goods, the Nifty Solutions BC4422 Nifty 3-Tier Cooling Rack saves time and space. Its three vertical racks can hold cupcakes, cookies, and cakes. An additional support arm ensures heavier baked goods are secure, and its nonstick coating prevents crumbs and residue from adhering to the wire mesh design. Plus, it folds up flat for easy storage when it’s not in use. This rack can also be cleaned in the dishwasher. $19.99 on Amazon.
Photo: amazon.com
The Joseph Joseph Adjustable Rolling Pin isn’t just any rolling pin: it’s one of the more unique gifts for bakers that’s also useful and convenient. Constructed of solid beech, this pin comes etched with a pastry-width measurement guide to make rolling easy as pie. Removable discs help bakers roll their dough to a consistent thickness so crusts come out even. In a nutshell: It takes the guesswork out of making the perfect pizza, pie, or pastry crust. $19.99 on Amazon.
Photo: target.com
Beginning or intermediate bakers will want to get their hands on the Hamilton Beach 6-Speed Hand Mixer. This mixer comes with standard beaters, plus a whisk and a storage case. Using the lowest speed, bakers can mix dry and wet ingredients without making a mess, and at its highest speed, it can cream together harder ingredients such as butter. This hand mixer can blend, cream, whip, mix, and beat with the best of them, and likely at a lower price point. $22.99 at Target.
Photo: amazon.com
The Baking Bible by best-selling author Rose Levy Barenbaum is an essential guide for beginning, intermediate, or expert bakers. The winner of the 2015 IACP Cookbook Award for Baking, this book features foolproof recipes for cakes, cookies, pies, tarts, bread, candies, and pastries. Each recipe includes detailed instructions and tips to make even the most intimidating desserts more approachable. With the help of this book, bakers can try their hand at anything from simple yet flavorful muffins to bakery-style goodies. $22.99 on Amazon.
Gifts $25 to $50
Photo: etsy.com
For the passionate homemade bread baker, this Handmade Bread Proofing Basket is not only beautiful, but it’s also a great choice for sourdough loaves. Finding high-quality gifts for bread bakers can be a challenge, but this basket’s rope construction allows for dough moisture to evaporate during proofing, which leads to a thick, chewy crust. Bread bakers can simply flour the inside of the basket, then let the dough rise inside. It works best for small or medium loaves and can be hand-washed or spot cleaned. It can also be used as a decorative basket when it’s not being used for bread. $29.99 on Etsy.
Photo: amazon.com
The Wilton Deluxe Cake Decorating Kit is a great gift for the cake decorator extraordinaire, whether they enjoy piping and decorating as a hobby or a profession. This kit includes it all, from 18 specialty tips to decorating bags and a 9-inch spatula. The handy storage case makes tool organization easy, since small tips could otherwise get lost or misplaced. With this tip set, cake decorators can create borders, roses, rosettes, swirls, spirals, stars, and even lettering for custom, professional-looking designs. If you’re looking for gifts for cookie bakers specifically, this kit will allow them to create smaller-scale masterpieces, too. $34.95 on Amazon.
Photo: amazon.com
Bakers who want only the freshest and most potent spices in their concoctions will appreciate the Cuisinart SG-10 Electric Spice-and-Nut Grinder. It has a 200-watt motor that easily grinds or blends nuts and spices to unleash powerful flavors. The grinder’s stainless steel blades go to work once the lid is pressed, making it easy to turn on and off. This gadget also includes a built-in safety interlock that prevents it from starting unless the top is on, resulting in less risk of injury. $39.95 on Amazon.
Gifts $50 to $100
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Made of solid carbon steel, the SAVEUR SELECTS Loaf and Muffin Pan Bakeware Set can resist twisting and warping for years to come. Its construction also promotes even heat distribution, so muffins and cupcakes can bake to perfection. Both the loaf and muffin pan have a nonstick coating that makes cleanup a breeze, and they’re also dishwasher safe for added convenience. These metal pans will keep their shape through years of use, making them even more appealing to their recipient. $51.99 on Amazon.
Photo: surlatable.com
Home and professional bakers alike will appreciate this Covered Cake Stand, which features a classic design that can be shown off on any occasion. Whether the baker in mind is a seasoned cake maker or entertains on the regular, they likely need a place to show off their cakes, cookies, or muffins. This exclusive stand is 12 inches by 10 inches and is made of hand-blown glass crafted by skilled Polish artisans. No stand is the same, so your gift recipient will truly own a one-of-a-kind original. $59.95 at Sur La Table.
Gifts $100 to $250
Photo: amazon.com
The KBS 17-in-1 Premium Bread Machine makes bread making a cinch with a wide range of settings and programs. Your favorite baker can customize the bread’s cycle, crust, and loaf size and can even watch the dough’s progress through a large viewing window. With this bread machine, a digital touch panel control allows users to select what type of 1- to 2-pound loaves they want to bake in the ceramic interior pan, which creates more even heat. Bonus: It comes with a kitchen glove, measuring tools, and a stirring rod. $119.99 on Amazon.
Read More: The Best Bread Makers
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Whether the baker in your life lives in a small space or prefers to use a toaster oven, the Oster French Door Oven with Convection is an ideal tabletop appliance for any user. This oven can bake, broil, and toast a wide range of items, from baked goods to pizzas. Its turbo convection technology browns contents more easily, and a removable crumb tray makes cleaning a much less tedious task. If users want to defrost, reheat, or dehydrate food, this oven is good for those purposes, too. $139.99 at Best Buy.
Gifts $250 and Over
Photo: amazon.com
The baker in your life has likely had their eye on a KitchenAid Stand Mixer for quite some time, if they haven’t worn one out already. This kitchen staple comes with a 10-speed slide control that ranges from a slow stir to a quick whip that can beat anything from muffin mix to cookies and cakes. It also comes with a dough hook, flat beater, and wire whip, should a recipe call for them. Its 5-quart stainless steel mixing bowl holds multiple batches of dough and includes a comfortable handle. It’s a godsend for making recipes that have long mixing times, as bakers won’t have to tire out their hands holding a traditional hand mixer. $429.99 on Amazon.
Read More: The Best KitchenAid Mixers
How to Get the Best Gifts for Bakers Deals
Deals on the best gifts for bakers can be found year round, but they’re even more likely to pop up around holidays. The earlier you shop around these holidays, the more likely you are to score discounts on higher-priced gadgets or appliances. Christmas gifts for bakers tend to sell out quickly, too—so if you’re shopping for the holiday season, it’s best to choose and buy your gift early.
If you don’t plan to shop around the holidays or don’t have time to schedule around sales, browser extensions like Honey can make scoring deals easy. After you install Honey, it will automatically apply any available discount or promo codes to items you’ve placed in your cart. Its Droplist feature will also alert you when an item you’ve been eyeing drops in price.
Prices listed here were accurate at the time of publication on 7/14/2021.