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We know lots of you are planning your weddings, but a ton of you are also attending weddings. And you may starting to think “hmm, what the HELL am I going to get them?” Or maybe you're putting together your registries and thinking “hmm, what the HELL do I need?”
Never fear: Offbeat Bride is here to help you shop for those perfect gifts. Let's start off with our gift round-up for foodies. Chefs, bakers, and yummy thing makers will totally be thrilled to receive any of these items…
(Pro tip: set up a universal registry on Amazon to immediately add these things to YOUR registry.)
I freaked out all over this space saving, rainbow, food prep nesting set over on Offbeat Home. It's one of my most favorite purchases.
Weddings are the best time to celebrate the awesomeness of cakes! If you gift this beautiful Vintage Cakes book early on in their engagement, you may just help them pick out their wedding cake.
Inspired by my foodie cousin, this rhino butter dish was one of his favorite surprise (non-registry) wedding gifts.
Bongs, monsters, and sippy cups: 13 awesomely weird and adorable foodie gifts for your registry
Did you add these Wolverine-style meat claws to your registry? It's not the only weird and wonderful stuff to add to your foodie gifts registry?... Read more
This Moleskine Passions Recipe Journal is perfect for the hipster foodie in your life. This book helps them capture everything they need: appetizers, first course, main dishes, side dishes, wine pairings, desserts, and cocktails along with prep time ingredients and difficulty. It even includes a calendar for ingredients that are in season.
My best friend who's also a sous chef seriously broke down in tears after being gifted a beautiful cutting board. Tears, people! Over the thing she chops shit on. What I'm saying here is, if you can, splurge a little on an amazing cutting board like this giant Madeira Canary Teak End-Grain Chop Block.
For a lot less moolah, you can still delight them with this colorful cutting board set.
Everyone loves Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce, right? Put together your own spicy wedding gift set with The Sriracha Cookbook, a big ‘ol bottle of Sriracha sauce, and maybe make them up your own Sriracha hot and spicy salt (or purchase some if you'd rather).
This Molecular Gastronomy Kit is a great way to give your foodie couple a “stay at home date” in a box. Think of all the fun they'll have getting science-y with their newlywed dinners.
Speaking of date night, they can arrange a game date night with other foodies and play Foodie Fight: A Trivia Game for Serious Food Lovers, which is apparently a thing.
Foodies love them some mortar and pestles. Great for making artisanal salsas, or grinding herbs, or I don't know… what else do people who make food use these for? I clearly don't cook.
Gift them their first garden with this Reclaimed Barnwood Planter Box Mini Herb Garden Kit. They can grown their own cooking herbs — basil, dill, thyme, parsley, oregano, cilantro — from seeds! If you wanna go bigger with your garden gift, check out this chalkboard wall garden from Williams Sonoma!
Trust me, aaaaaanything Le Creuset will make them freak their foodie faces off. Now, Le Creuset is known to be very pricey… that's why I'm a huge fan of their smaller, super-useful stoneware jars and kitchen products like the garlic keeper, honey pot, jam jar, mini casserole dishes gift set, or salt crock. All priced $27 and up.
I don't know why, but foodies also love pasta makers. (You can totally buy pasta at the store, y'all!) But I know several couples that have registered for one of these babies. And yet, I haven't had a ONE make me fresh pasta yet. Maybe you'll have better luck with that if you actually purchase one for them.
Behold the reigning king of foodie gifts. EVERY aspiring chef wants a KitchenAid mixer. And don't even get me started on all the color options! Whoamygod.
Or you could gift them an awesome cooking experience: Gift certificate to a cooking class they'd never pay to take themselves. (Kosher cooking? Cake baking? Sushi class?) Or reserve a chef's table experience for them at a fancy restaurant.
Ready to add these things to YOUR registry?
Everything on this page came from Amazon, because their wedding registries are super easy for everyone to use, and even include a universal registry option — so you can register for stuff from ANYWHERE online, using Amazon.
Want to add these things to YOUR registry?
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About the Author: Megan Finley Horowitz
When Megan's not writing, traveling, and sleeping, she's eating like the fate of the world depends on it. (You're welcome, world!) You can snoop into her personal life over on her website The Dash and Dine!
Cheesecloth or muslin, canning equipment, a whipper, and a SodaStream machine are some of the things my fellow foodies covet. There’s also adopt a wine barrel at some of our local wineries and for folks who love olive oil you can adopt a tree!
We love our soda stream!!! We save money, the sodas have less calories and sugar than store bought stuff and no high fructose corn syrup!! Win!!!
Adopt an olive tree? How does that work?
This is the program I’m familiar with, but I suspect California will have something similar!
http://www.nudo-italia.com/
You adopt a tree in a region (kind of like adopting a barrel of wine or livestock), get updates on its health/growth, and as it produces olives you’ll receive oil.
Oh, dude. That Sriracha cookbook is rad. It has this miso-soy-sriracha sauce for salmon or chicken that is seriously to die for.
If I was the type to wax poetic, I could write you a epic ballad on my love for my KitchenAid mixer. We put it on the registry never expecting to get it, but it arrived on our doorstep and and life has never been the same.
I’m telling you man, people LOOOOOVE them some KitchenAid mixers.
I have a Cuisinart and love it too. 🙂 It’s kinda like Star Wars vs Star Trek. A lot of people are divided. I wish mine had come in funky colours but maybe I’ll just have to paint it or buy some decals. 😉 But that was one of our best wedding gifts for me (and my dude gets cookies and key lime pies out of it so he’s happy too)
Mandolin! Although make sure to ALWAYS use the guard, for safety sake.
I have had such terrible luck with those safety guards when I’m cutting anything firmer that a cucumber. I’ve had them mangle veggies, not grip, and also get stuck. The answer is metal mesh gloves.
You can get a pair of metal mesh gloves for around $10 and they’re fantastic. They’re ambidextrous and you only need one at once so buying a pair will last you a long time. I’ve had mine for years and they’re still in excellent shape, aside from a bit of staining.
FYI, for those of us that live in areas where chicken and noodles are popular, the pasta maker becomes a “noodle maker”. Very easy to use with little cleanup. My mom is on her second, and my aunts all have and use theirs, too. I haven’t been trusted with the family noodle recipe yet, but when I do, I’m buying one of those bad boys.
I have had my kitchenaid mixer for over 20 years and it is AWESOME. it’s also a good gift for several people to get together to give and attachments make nice gifts too, such as…a pasta making attachment! I use my grater attachment most often. I recommend a second bowl as well, for all those birthday cakes you have to make – one bowl for batter, one for frosting.
Okay, I got to the part where Megan informed us you can buy pasta at the store and DIED laughing. Can this be a series? Megan Pitches Products To Foodies?
Behind the scenes secret: I had to put a call out to my friends on Facebook for their suggestions. “So… what do you people who actually MAKE all the foods want as gifts?”
I, for one, am very proud of you Megan for taking on this subject. Its like you’re growing before our eyes! 🙂 Soon people will be reaching out to YOU on Facebook for kitchen tips.
Also, I want all of these things…and I already have the Mixer, But I’m not against another: DOUBLE THE CAKES!!!
I would LOVE to see your “double the cakes” kitchen. 😉
No, no, no… you don’t want two. My then-boyfriend and I both interned at Whirlpool for a summer, and we each got a Kitchenaid standmixer as part of the deal, and we have never even opened his. Which is sad, because his is also an awesome color… But there is simply no room!
Good Lord I’ve got to get married already. Is there any other life event people buy you presents for that doesn’t require major legal/lifetime commitments?
I clicked the pasta maker and it sent me down a rabbit hole of culinary desires.
Dootsie, I will marry you! Lets split the spoils! 😉
Oh Lordy mighty, I do believe I have the vapors! -swoon-
Yes, yes, a thousand times yes! But do you think anyone will be suspicious if we request two of everything on our registry?
My family does holiday wishlists, and there has been kitchen stuff on it since I was 14. (I got wustof knives for hanukkah when I was 16, a pasta maker for my birthday at 17, etc) My cousin once said “Aren’t you supposed to put this stuff on your wedding registry?” but I think letting people know you would love it for your birthday is totally acceptable.
When I was feeling forever single and my friends were getting married one after the other, we agreed I should just do an apartment registry or something funny. I didn’t, because I moved across the country, but I totally considered it. I vote you just have a “commitment to me!” party. 🙂
My sister decided that, since she finally bought a house of her own, and there was no wedding in her near future, she would throw a huge “house-warming” party, and register for all the things you might normally for a wedding. She made sure served really good food (sweet potato bar FTW!!) and basically threw an amazing party for a lot of people, and they mostly brought great gifts. She only got a few things off her registry, but she was then getting at least one item off her register each Christmas for the next few years. 🙂
Sweet potato bar and a non-wedding registry? Your sister is uber cool.
True story: my future mother in law bought me (us, me and my man, but mostly ME) a kitchenaid mixer…and I cried. Real tears.
I have seen a cutting board reduce a grown-ass woman to tears, I believe that the gift of a KitchenAid mixer can reduce any adult into a full-on Oprah freakout:
GIFSoup
Best foodie gifts ever:
An amazing cutting board (I know Megan mentioned it above, but seriously, the best!)
A cast iron griddle: you can make 6-8 pancakes at once!!!
These measuring cups. Yes they cost about $50. We got them as a gift and they are the BEST EVER. They are constructed like little pots (even the 1/4 cup) and we use the 1 cup all the time as a tiny pot/stove top butter melter. Also, we had been through 2 sets of measuring cups in 3 years before these, and I assure you, these puppies will still be with my grandkids. Seriously, I’ve cooked in kitchens with thinner, less durable pans than these, and the handles are bolted on, like a high quality pot. They are worth every single penny of their crazy outrageous price: All-Clad Stainless Measuring Cup Set
Stacking bowls. For a lot of foodies, they should be glass, ceramic, or stainless steel, not plastic. Glass and ceramic can be used for those things you aren’t supposed to make in metal, but any of them are good (stainless steel is nice because it is lightweight and not so breakable.) I know a lot of people love the stainless steel ones with the rubber, weighted bottoms, so they stay put. The problem with plastic is a) hippies like me worry about what kind of nasty chemicals are in it and b) it picks up flavors so the bowl can start to taste like garlic and then so does your dessert.
Prep bowls!!! Oh my goodness, we got them this year with a gift certificate, and I love those little babies so much!! I like having the little and big sizes. The little is perfect for minced garlic, some spices, a spoonful of cream, a pat of butter, etc. The big are good for diced onion, carrot, and celery, eating a snack, and other stuff. (espcially the onion.) We have these: Glass Prep Bowls, Set of 8
Dude, I am NOT a cook at all, but this $34 cast iron griddle changed my world. I am now the pancake goddess of our house:
It’s also awesome for homemade tortillas. Thanks to our griddle, my partner (aka Pancake Papa) can whip up tortillas for dinner on a weeknight after work!!
We adore savory pancakes from the griddle: pancakes without sugar and with green onions and optional jalapenos in them, with salted yogurt for dipping. Heavenly.
We have this one: Lodge Logic LDP3 Double Play Reversible Grill/Griddle
(Also, how do you embed comments like that?)
(Also, how do you embed comments like that?)
Do you mean embed photos? If so, it’s a something only admins can do — it’s a security thing, with not wanting folks to be able to embed malicious code. Sorry. :/
I happened to see some little prep bowls at the store one day, and (not knowing what they were) thought they were cute, dish-washable, and might be nice to serve ketchup in when we get fries or something. MY GOD I use them almost every day now. I got more, and seriously they are good for all KINDS of things! Definitely a good suggestion!
Mortar & pestles are used more for dry spices than for fresh herbs, fyi. Still an excellent gift, and you can find nice ones for quite little money. Mine cost me CAD $15 at my local witchy shop a few years back.
I got myself a super sexy mixer for Christmas last year, a beastly Kenwood with all metal parts. It makes me feel moist and tingly. Oh baby.
But yeah, we’re not doing a registry because money is more important, but I’m a total foodie freak and would have packed a registry full of this shit… and my poor husband-to-be would just be left whining about how we just don’t have the cupboard space for all my foodie shit.. Sigh..
I’m lusting after some airtight storage containers for my baking staples.
And to chime in on the KitchenAid Mixer thing… My grandma gave me her extra-large KitchenAid Mixer and I about died. I actually bake more because of it. If she’s going to give me a gift that awesome, I better dang well use it!
I’m so envious of you people’s pancake skills. I can’t make a fully cooked pancake to save my life.
And I second (third?) the Megan’s Tips for Foodies series!
try turning the temperature down and have patience while the pan-cakes “bake” on the pan. this was a hard one for super-impatient me to learn so I feel ya!
Also, watch the sides of the pancake. Once they’ve pulled up and away from the surface they’re ready to flip. If you want the golden color then let it sit a while. Test the pancake by gently nudging it with your spatula. If the pancake moves easily then it’s likely to be golden and can be flipped.
You can also trying using an electric griddle. The heat is more even, so it’s easier to tell when your pancakes are done (and also not burn them accidentally)! I have one from my parents that’s seriously been around for at least the last 20 years. I highly recommend it!
And I second (third?) the Megan’s Tips for Foodies series!
I feel like that’s what Offbeat Home has become for me sometimes. 😉
I sincerely hope that our comments do not make you feel bad! I really love (schadenfreude perhaps?) watching people who can’t/won’t/don’t cook… try. It’s… well… hilarious. That, and I’m super convinced in a “You’ll seeeeeeeeee” way, that if someone has a good enough cooking experience, they will magically become an at-home chef.
Look at the pasta! They also make striped lasagne sheets, it’s incredible. I’ve got some for my sister as a thank you for doing a reading http://www.justsoitalian.co.uk/italian_food_online_deli/Red___White_Pasta_Hearts.html
We have plastic cutting mats that are colour coded for different types of things and I love them. My husband hasn’t figured them out yet, but I love them.
Whisks are awesome. Especially small ones which people are less likely to have.
What about bbq equipment?! If you know grillers, then consider things for that. I got my dad one of these Fire Wires because they are awesome. Long bendable skewer that is reusable!
I covet my mum’s square measuring spoons that fit into jars nicely.
I also love the mini loaf pans or the square muffin/cupcake ones. I have a mini loaf one but the square ones are so cute! Works great with the hints from Offbeat Home about easy peasy breakfast in a muffin tin. 😉
A double boiler is also great. While I don’t use it a ton, I’ve used it for baking and starting to get the hang of it now.
Oh my goodness I want that chalkboard wall garden so so so so much right now. I’ve been wanting to start growing my own herbs, but we have awful cats, so I had pretty much given up. But now… Too bad I can’t afford it at the moment, but I may try to DIY something along this line until I can! 🙂
I freaking LOVE the KitchenAid Ice Cream Attachment for the mixer. It makes ice cream in about 20 min. love love love love love.
Thanks so much for this!! I’ve been wondering what on earth to get for some really foodie friends who got married recently and I missed the list. I’m getting them a kitchen planter kit like the one above, along with this super-cool cocktail herbs kit! http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00FLTL84M/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE