This story is part of Holiday Gift Guide 2020, CNET's gift picks with expert advice, reviews and recommendations for the latest tech gifts for you and your family.
Foodie, (ˈfuːdi): a person with an ardent or refined interest in food, eating not only out of hunger but out of interest, hobby or pleasure.Finding the perfect gift for your favorite foodie friend or loved one can be a serious challenge. It's easy to fall back on edible gifts like good olive oil, balsamic vinegar, hot sauce, sea salt or maple syrup, but not everyone wants to gift gourmet food and people's tastes can be variable. So that leaves technology! But again, that can be tricky, as these gourmands demand high-quality appliances and tools for their kitchen and always seem to be just one step ahead in the gadget game. Admit it, your foodie friend probably had an Instant Pot long before you even heard about it.
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Ah, but they can't know everything. Below you'll find our picks for the best gifts for foodies. These cutting-edge gadgets, like a handy air fryer and convection combo oven, and high-quality analog culinary tools, such as a set of high carbon steel knives or the oh-so-trendy and oh-so-often-sold-out Always Pan, will satisfy the food and drink needs of even the most discerning home chef. Plus, these cooking gifts are more creative than wine charms or a bottle of Scotch (not that we don't love Scotch).
Read more: Our favorite cookware sets of 2020
Toaster ovens have long gotten a bad rap as impersonal gifts with little to no cachet but I'm here to prove this platitude false. An air fryer lets you cook food with far less oil (olive oil or otherwise) while mimicking the effects of deep-frying - which is scientifically proven to be the most delicious form of cooking. For me, the one big drawback with traditional air fryers is that the baskets have physical limits for what you can make in them. Not so with this chic combo air fryer and convection from KitchenAid which you can use for toasting, broiling, baking, warming and air frying. it heats up fast, cooks with precision, lets you watch your food's progress through a glass door and the matte black finish won't stain or tarnish as quickly as silver.
Best air fryer for 2020.
Earlier this year I put the cookware sensation that's sweeping the nation to the test. Is it over-hyped? Maybe a smidge, but what isn't these days? That doesn't change the fact that the Always Pan is an exceedingly well-designed, multi-purpose ceramic skillet. It's a great size, as easy to clean as any pan I've ever used and has a built-in spoon rest - which I can't believe isn't a standard feature on more frying pans. The Always Pan is often sold out but is currently in stock and available in any one of five very pleasing colors. The maker of the Always Pan also just recently released a steamer basket insert made especially for it: Perfect for dumplings, fish and vegetables.
Read our Always Pan review.
It is more than likely that a true foodie may already have a Dutch oven, so do some digging before you buy, but I've personally been surprised to learn how many of my friends and family don't own an enameled cast iron pot. For me, it's an absolute must-have for stews, braises, soups and Sunday meatballs in sauce. And a Dutch simply doesn't get any better (or better looking) than Le Creuset's essential oven. I dig the 3.5-quart size, which is plenty big for most recipes but won't require cross-fit muscles to move around. And it comes in a rainbow of pretty Le Creuset colors.
There are certainly more budget-friendly Dutch ovens too, like this Lodge 6-quart number, but there is just something undeniable about a Le Creuset.
The best Dutch oven of 2020.
