10 Wedding Gifts for Couples Who Love to Cook—At Any Budget

Wedding gift registries traditionally included items that couples would need when entertaining for fancy occasions: crystal, fine china, silverware, and other easily breakable goods. But times have changed. Lots of today’s engaged couples—at least the ones I know—are far more interested in the part that comes before entertaining: the actual cooking.

And as the author of the recently published cookbook, The Newlywed Table, I’ve given a lot of thought to the ways duos set up kitchens and cook with one another. Like, which tools my husband and I found ourselves reaching for the most as we learned to navigate around one another in the kitchen—or what serving platter most reminded us of the dear friends who’d selected it for us.

If you’re shopping for a couple that loves to cook, it can be tricky to know what to get them. You want to choose something they’ll treasure for many years, but you probably also have a budget in mind. Here are 10 ideas at different price points that any home cook would adore:

The obvious move here is two champagne flutes, but don’t overlook beautiful everyday glasses that can be filled with juice, water, or wine. Newlyweds will use them all the time instead of just once a year on their anniversary. I’m partial to these and these.

Thick and heavy cutting boards are the best (and safest) for dicing an onion, slicing an apple, or rolling out dough for a pie crust. Good, long-lasting ones also happen to be more expensive than the flimsy ones, which is why they make wonderful gifts. For a really special couple, see if it’s possible to customize a wooden board with names and/or a wedding date.

High-quality cookware really does make a difference, whether you’re cooking breakfast for your sweetheart, braising a stew, or trying to recreate that amazing jam you tasted at Sqirl in LA. Here are three options for high-quality cookware, all at different prices: a heart-shaped waffle iron, Great Jones’ The Dutchess, and a gorgeous French copper jam pan.

I know this might seem too practical at first glance, but I can assure you that anyone who loves to cook will at some point need to store leftovers. Enter: stackable containers in dishwasher and freezer-friendly glass. Having a deep supply of fancy storage containers feels like a luxury; it brightens up a kitchen task that can otherwise be a chore.

Couples who love to cook probably already have a reliable chef’s knife or two, but they’ll surely appreciate a nice set of steak knives. My husband and I were given this delightful set of olive wood-handled knives as a wedding gift, and we use them on weeknights and for dinner parties.

Nothing says forever like a cast iron skillet. With proper care, this pan will only get better with age and can be passed down from generation to generation. A few terrific brands worth checking out: Lodge (bonus points for affordability), Smithey Ironware, and The Field Company. I reach for our 12-inch cast-iron skillet most often, but we also have a vintage 7-inch pan that’s perfectly sized for two sunny-side-up eggs.

The first few years together as newlyweds should involve lots of cake. Give your pals a beautiful stand with a matching glass dome and they’ll have no reason not to bake something sweet on a regular Monday.

You can’t go wrong wrapping up a set of soft linens, like tablecloths in a few colors, or even a kitchen apron. Keep it simple and choose a neutral color or pattern (unless you’re absolutely sure of the couple’s style), but don’t skimp on quality—well-made linen will last a lifetime.

If you know the couple loves coffee, consider sending them a different bag of beans every few months during their first year of marriage. Certain purveyors offer subscriptions for delicious gifts like charcuterie, wine, cheese, and more. Check out Olympia Provisions and Murray’s Cheese.

Like The Newlywed Table by, um, me! I wrote this cookbook for duos of all kinds: couples, best friends, roommates, and sisters. It has 100 recipes, classic and modern, to cook with someone you love. My husband designed the book and we reference it whenever we want to make his favorite recipe, One-Bowl Brownies. A few other favorites to stock your newlywed-friends’ shelves: The Zuni Café Cookbook by Judy Rodgers, Vegetable Literacy by Deborah Madison, and The Taste of Country Cooking by Edna Lewis.

All products in this post are independently selected by our writers or editors, and Food52 may earn an affiliate commission.

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What's your go-to wedding gift? Let us know in the comments!