18 of the best baking gifts 2021
In need of some gift inspiration for bakers? Browse our list of accessories, tools and personalised baking gifts to order online for home delivery.
For anyone hooked on baking, you can be sure that baking-related gifts are likely to go down well. Plus, the pay-off is often a treat that you might get a piece of if you get the gift right.
The best gifts for bakers strike the balance of being special and aesthetically pleasing, while also practical so they can withstand regular use over a long period of time. Some items such as cake stands can be multifunctional and become the substitute for other kitchen accessories (for example, replacing a fruit bowl when not on baking duty) and a statement piece will likely be left out of a cupboard.
We've rounded up a selection of baking gift ideas that we'd like in our own kitchens and think your friends, family or colleagues would, too, from tins for making showstopper cakes to beautiful baking tools, top-rated equipment tested by our reviews experts and accessible recipe collections for all abilities from some star chefs. There are also personalised baking gifts for giving something truly bespoke. Discover all our picks of the best baking gifts to give this year and beyond to the foodies in your life.
Want to give something a bit different this year? We have a huge selection of gifts for foodies to browse, from the best edible gift box ideas to the best letterbox gifts, cocktail gifts and gifts for coffee lovers. Looking for a special personalised gift idea? Create one of these customised BBC Good Food cookbooks filled with delicious bakes and other recipes, or treat a loved one to one of our online cookery courses. Read more on how our reviews experts test products.
Thoughtful and personalised gift ideas for bakers
Kitchen Pantry brass measuring cups
Secured with a leather tie, this set of solid brass ¼ cup, ⅓ cup, ½ cup and 1 cup measures nest together and are dishwasher-safe for easy cleaning. They'll add some vintage style to any kitchen if hung on a hook for easy storage.
Available from Silver Mushroom (£14.99)
Trudy Blockprint Patchwork Apron
Aprons needn't be dull. This cotton number exclusive to Anthropologie is decorated using traditional woodblock print techniques to create its dual-motif design in moss green shades. Importantly, it's also machine-washable.
Available from Anthropologie (£28)
Cuisinart Precision stand mixer
Awarded 4/5 stars when tested alongside the best stand mixers by BBC Good Food's reviews experts, the Cuisinart Precision model is a robust and elegant countertop mixer. It has all the quality-heft of a KitchenAid without the matching price tag. Its 5.2-litre mixing bowl with handle offers generous capacity for batch-baking and bread doughs. Attachments include a large stainless steel chef's whisk, dishwasher-safe dough hook and flat paddle mixer. It would make an excellent blow-out baking gift. Read our full Cuisinart Precision stand mixer review.
Available from:
Olive wood cake stand
Part of House of Flora's Live Wood collection, this cake stand is handcrafted from sustainably sourced acacia wood, olive wood and mango wood, and would make a decorative fruit bowl or table centrepiece when not being used for bakes.
Specs: H9cm x W30cm x D30cm.
Available from House of Flora (£55)
Le Creuset non-stick loaf tin
Featuring in our guide to the best cake tins, this Le Creuset number was awarded best loaf tin for wide cakes at 13.5cm across and produced a fantastic loaf cake, easily removed from the oven thanks to the wide rims at either end and the tin's non-stick interior. It also comes with a lifetime guarantee.
Available from:
Microplane Master Series Zester
A tried and tested favourite of the BBC Good Food team, the Microplane Master Series Zester combines the brand's iconic stainless steel blade with a handle made from sustainably sourced American walnut, which offers a slight heft that signals quality. Zesting citrus fruit is effortless and it makes light work of more fibrous ingredients such as ginger, too.
Available from:
Mason Cash In The Forest S12 Mixing Bowl, 29cm
This earthenware mixing bowl forms the broad base of a nesting set of four, but is available on its own and is a contemporary update to the classic. Embossed leaves and woodland creatures adorn its exterior, cleverly designed to offer greater grip on the bowl. At 29cm across, it's perfect for mixing large quantities at a time, batch baking or even proving dough.
Available from:
The Pastry Chef's Guide by Ravneet Gill
Ravneet Gill has worked as a pastry chef in some of the best kitchens in London. Her accessible debut cookbook for home bakers demystifies complex techniques. Complete with beautiful photography, the book is divided into chapters: sugar, custards, chocolate, pastry, biscuits, cakes and puddings. Basically, all the best things in life.
Available from:
Nordic Ware woodland cakelet pan
Nordic Ware is brand favourite of the BBC Good Food team for its durability but also creativity in helping you make spectacular bakes at home. Made from cast aluminium, this woodland-inspired tin is perfect for seasonal bakes featuring oak leaf, pinecone and acorn designs for nine cakelets. It's also backed by a limited lifetime warranty.
Available from:
Oliver Bonas Mixed Metallic Measuring Spoons set of four
This set of four measuring spoons are stainless steel in varying metallic hues with coloured handles for tablespoon, teaspoon, half and quarter teaspoon measures. The large safety pin in place of a ring is a wonderfully quirky touch.
Available from Oliver Bonas (£26.50)
Knabstrup proving saucer
You can’t help but gaze into the glazed blue coating of this proving saucer. It’s a heavy-duty ceramic bowl, perfect for leaving dough to rise in. And when not filled with dough, store it on show. It would make an excellent fruit bowl.
Available from Nordic Nest (£35)
Nordic Ware bundt tin
This brand is bundt tin royalty. The classic curving lines of this particular tin makes it a clear contender for a bundt cake crown and an exciting gift for bakers and their showstopper creations.
Available from:
VonShef 1000W stand mixer
For a more affordable stand mixer to give as a baking gift, VonShef's 3.5-litre stand mixer was highly rated when tested alongside the best stand mixers on the market and also earned the title, best affordable stand mixer. This little workhorse has eight speed settings and arrives with a flat beater, balloon whisk and dough hook in the box. It's a particularly great choice for passionate bakers with smaller kitchens, plus it's available in both black and white.
Available from:
Nadiya Bakes by Nadiya Hussain
Nadiya's book accompanies her BBC Two series of the same name and is packed with more than 100 recipes, from breads to traybakes and special celebration bakes. You can expect her creative stamp and signature twists on classics right from the first page.
Available from:
Mon Amie cake stand
This blue and white porcelain cake stand by Rörstrand is part of the Marianne Westman Mon Amie collection and would make for a summery centrepiece for any table and celebration. The wide base also makes it stable which is useful for enthusiastic cake slicing.
Available from Nordic Nest (£56)
Glam and Co personalised apron set
This full bib apron is made from heavy cotton and can be personalised with a name or caption. The same goes for the optional bag of baking utensils. All are customisable so just choose your font and away you go.
Available from Etsy (£25 for apron with pockets)
Mosser jade milk glass cake stand
This cake stand is something special, intricately moulded in glass to create one milky jade showpiece for presenting baking creations. There are three sizes available, from 15cm to 30cm in diameter. It’s also dishwasher-safe.
Available from Sous Chef (£37.50)
One Tin Bakes by Edd Kimber
Perfect for anyone who loves to bake, this collection of sweet and simple traybakes are a joy to flick through. And you only need a 23cm x 33cm baking tin.
Available from:
Related reviews
8 new gadgets every baker needs to own
23 essential pieces of baking equipment
Best cake tins
Best hand mixers
Best stand mixers
Best kitchen scales
Best mixing bowls
Best baking trays
Best personalised water bottles
8 of the best kitchen sieves
Best measuring spoons
Best measuring cups
If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.
