500+ Foodies Gift Ideas (Under $50) 2024

Expert Tips

Find the Best Gifts For Foodies (And What to Avoid)

Foodies are a fine bunch who thrive on unearthing the flavors in food, with a pinch of pink Himalayan salt. That's why looking to find unique gifts for foodies can feel downright intimidating. True foodies have tasted everything from hibiscus dark chocolate to kimchi vinaigrette on their organic frise lettuce. Foodies are not afraid to experiment with cooking at home. And it's safe to say, foodies tour restaurants of star-ranked pedigree. So we're pulling out our finest guide to share ways to shop gifts fit for a foodie. Bon appetit!

Looks Count

Foodies appreciate how you present food, as half the experience in eating. Search out serving dishes that feel like works of art, just like the food, as unique gifts for foodies. First, be sure to scope out your foodie’s style — modern, country, colorful, minimal — by checking what dishes are in the cabinets now.

Flavor Profile

The best gifts for foodies include flavors or foods that they’ve never tried before. But you’d be hard-pressed to find surprising edible gifts in the standard grocery store. Look online and in local provision shops that carry indie brands and unusual collections of foods for your foodie to try.

Small Batch

If you’re considering edible gifts for foodies, look for wording in the packaging and labels that clue into small, gourmet brands. Some words to look out for: artisanal, local, homegrown, and small batch. Then let your belly be the guide in deciding which small-batch locally-grown organic treat sounds best to surprise your food lover.

Space to Host

Some of the best Christmas gifts for foodies include serveware and table accessories for entertaining. After all, foodies love hosting parties at their place with multi-course meals that dazzle. Be sure to first consider where you foodie lives though — small studio apartment or a home with a 6-foot-long dining table? Plan accordingly in terms of size and the practicality of their space at home.

Exclusive Pass

Foodies like to be first in line for what’s new in the food world. That includes big restaurant openings, wine tastings, and hunting down hard-to-find foods available only in select places. Think on birthday gifts for foodies that feel like an exclusive culinary experience.

Clever Designs

Choosing cookbooks as gifts for foodies feels like a safe bet. But then there’s the question of whether your foodie already owns it. Do some snooping of your own (or talk to your foodie’s significant other) to ensure the cookbook will be a fresh addition to the shelf. And always choose a cookbook that looks cleverly stylish and modern, just like your foodie.

Sweet or Savory

Edible gifts and well-designed kitchen tools are always on the gift idea list for foodies. To choose one, it helps to know what types of food they crave most. Does your foodie have a sweet tooth? Or does your foodie talk up pork belly? Check your foodie’s Pinterest or peek in their pantry for clues.

Looking for gift ideas to pair with food?

Check out these gifting guides for a perfect pairing: Your Essential Guide to Wine Gifts for Any Occasion 7 Neat Ways to Find Gifts for a Whiskey Lover Tap into the Best Ways to Shop for Beer Lovers