Best Food Gift Ideas for Families 2020

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Best Food Gift Ideas for Families 2020
Best Food Gift Ideas for Families 2020

This year we might not be able to be with our entire families to celebrate the holidays, but aside from getting them gifts, we also want to try and recreate some of the experience of eating and cooking together. Here are some family-sized, family-style food presents that I am planning to send to the friends and family on my list:


2020 Food Gift Guide for Families and Big Groups

Gifts for the Breakfast Fans

Acme Smoked Fish Fishmonger's Favorites Collection

Acme Smoked Fish Fishmonger’s Favorites Collection

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The country’s biggest smoked fish purveyor has just started shipping nationwide and brunch lovers are in for a treat! This fourth-generation family owned business has launched a variety of new products launched in the past year, including freshly-smoked fish as part of their new online collection. 

You can pull together the exact assort of fish you know your people will like (belly lox, nova, gravlax, pastrami smoked salmon, herring, whitefish salad). Or go for one of the super cute giftable items sent right from the smokehouse, like the “Fishmongers Favorites Collection” or the pull-out-all-the-stops “Brooklyn Bling”. If that in-person bagels and salmon brunch is out of reach this year, maybe order one for your fam, and one for your sister, and have that Zoom brunch together.


CRUXGG TRNR Double Rotation Waffle Maker

This exclusive Williams Sonoma state of the art waffle maker will make someone’s waffle dreams come true. The claims to fame: the rotating double waffle maker can bake up to 8 big Belgian waffles in just 10 minutes (two can be made at once), a terrifically cleek and powerful design (this baby is looks great left on a counter, though it’s also compact and very easy to store), and the rotating function results in very evenly cooking.

And there is a great story behind the company: CRUXGG electrics “serve up bold design with a helping of homegrown activism.” Born in the Bronx, CRUXGG is a collaboration between Crux and Ghetto Gastro, a collective of top chefs who use food to empower communities, fight racism and advance social justice. That is a great way to top your waffles.


Various Stonewall Kitchen products on a marble countertop.

Stonewall Kitchens makes a slew of fantastic products, and if the first meal of the day is the one the gang most looks forward to, then you will find a PERFECT gift for them here – in a perfect world you’ll even get to share in it. You might go for the Stonewall Kitchen Pancake Sampler, the Favorite Jam Collection, the Grab and Go Breakfast Gift Set, or  the Berry Breakfast Gift Basket.


Gift for the Nibblers

Popcornopolis Gourmet Popcorn 2 Gallon Tin

I look forward to getting a gigantic tin of popcorn to wade through over the holidays while watching movies or playing Scrabble as much as any other holiday tradition. This bountiful gift tin includes about 14 cups each of Caramel Corn, Kettle Corn and Cheddar Cheese Popcorn – 42 cups total! Is this a lot? Yes, why yes, it is. About 42 cups. The popcorn is American-grown, non-GMO, gluten-free and contains no high fructose corn syrup. Keep the tin lid sealed for a delicious crunch for up to 6 months (ha, I say. Ha.)


Oh! Nuts Gourmet Nut Gift Basket

From the nut experts at Oh! Nuts. A big box filled with  jumbo cashews, pecans and filberts all freshly roasted and slightly salted, as well as pistachios  pumpkin and sunflower seeds and other assorted crunchy goodies. A great food gift that will last a long time.


Gifts for the Family That Cooks

Spiceology Ultimate Rub Collection

Spiceology is the fastest growing spice company in America, and they have an enticing line of BBQ spice rubs that will set up your favorite family for success once grilling season returns.

This collection of 12 very different rubs includes Black & Bleu, a blend of warm Cajun spices and real dehydrated bleu cheese (think burgers, popcorn, mac and cheese), Chile Margarita, which contains chiles are mixed with citrus and a touch of sugar, and Greek Freak —  one of their most popular blends — a mix of herbs, garlic and dried onions. Smoky Honey Habanero (the blend that started Spiceology) does wonderful things when cooked — the honey granules crystalize when you cook with this blend making for a delicious crust on anything you put it on. And so on and so on…..


Rachael Ray 4-Quart Griddle Lid Cast Iron Casserole

We all need a bright pop of color in our kitchens these days, and it doesn’t hurt to have that pop of color be in the form of something very functional. This pretty pot is made from durable cast iron construction which always provides superior heat distribution for excellent searing and browning. The surface, inside and out, is enamel for easy cleaning (no pre-seasoning required. The outside is finished in an eye-catching teal shimmer finish. The pot has sturdy handles for a strong and steady grip, but the best part is that the cast iron lid doubles as a stove-top-ready griddle – so it’s really a pot and a pan in one. It’s oven safe to 500°F F and suitable for all stovetops, including induction.


Gift for the Sweet Tooth Family

Humphry Slocombe Holiday Ice Cream Pack

Shipping an ice cream lover an assortment of not-you-everyday ice cream is a gift that will keep you in that very special front-of-mind love space for weeks. Humphry Slocombe is a San Francisco based small-batch ice cream brand synonymous with unique, ultra-premium flavors, and was named Top 5 Ice Cream in America by Food Network.

Try an assortment of their most popular flavors:  Blue Bottle Vietnamese Coffee, Secret Breakfast (Bourbon ice cream with cornflakes), Salted Caramel Cocoa Nib: Salted caramel ice cream with toasted cocoa nibs and Malted Milk Chocolate, which they describe as “a milkshake on a cone”. 

If you’re feeling particularly magnanimous, you might pair this with the Ghiradelli Sauce Collection, an assortment of Ghirardelli Chocolate Sauces featuring 3 16-ounce bottles: 1 classic Chocolate Sauce, 1 Caramel Sauce, and 1 Sea Salt Caramel, all in easy to use squeeze bottles. Because we all wish every day was sundae. Not only are these great for topping all stripes of ice cream flavors (and maybe some pies?), but they are also ideal for use in espresso-based drinks.


The Big Splurges

Cuisinart Digital Convection Toaster Oven Airfryer, Silver

Air fryers are absolutely still a THING in the cooking world, and they are getting better and better. It turns out we all like the ideas of frying without so much oil – who knew? This new offering from Cuisinart presets to perfectly fry favorites like wings, fries, chicken nuggets, snacks and veggies. It also offers all the great features of a full-size toaster oven AND it has a setting to allow cooks to proof dough, dehydrate foods and more. Multifunctionality all around, and it sports an easy-to-read large digital display and intuitive programming options.


The Breville Smart Oven Pizzaiolo

Yes, this is a pricey gift, but if you are looking to make a big statement, and you know a family who is way into making their own pizza at home, then you will be the ultimate hero for years to come.

Can’t justify or afford building a brick oven in your kitchen? Me neither. The Pizzaiolo is the first domestic countertop oven to hit 750°F and cook an authentic wood fired style pizza in 2 minutes. It replicates the three types of heat generated by a brick oven – conductive, radiant and convective. Here aren’t many of these available, so if you’re tempted (and it’s on sale right now), go for it.

A less pricey option, that actually will cook pizza but also can be used for all kinds of other cooking methods, like air frying, toasting, dehydrating, and more is the Breville Smart Oven® Air, which comes in a variety of sizes and with different bells and whistles. These smart ovens heat up really fast, and can be a game changer in terms of getting all kinds of meals on the table quickly.


Foodie Stocking Stuffers

Runamok Maple Syrup

First of all, who would not want a beautiful bottle of maple syrup  to get them through the winter? Baked Squash with Chili and Maple SyrupLazy Oven French Toast or  Spiced Pumpkin Pancakes with Maple Syrup, in Sweet Potato Spoonbread…. I practically keep a bottle on my counter during the colder months.

A few years back I discovered the whole wide world of Runamok Maple Syrups, which take the maple syrup game to another level. Cinnamon Vanilla, Jasmine Tea, Elderberry, Cinnamon-Vanilla, “Festivus”, Bourbon Barrel aged there are 12 very interesting varieties to play with. This is also a super host/hostess gift, with great packaging—the three pack is a real treat.


Williams Sonoma Coffee Bark with Peet's Coffee

Williams Sonoma Coffee Bark with Peet’s Coffee

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San Francisco Bay Area coffee favorite Peet’s freshly roasted coffee beans are expertly blended with another Bay Area favorite — Guittard chocolate — to create this irresistible two-layer treat. The top features creamy white chocolate blended with dark, coarse grinds for a subtle crunch. The bottom is made of rich dark chocolate blended with finely ground coffee beans for smooth, mocha flavor. Ok, maybe it’s more for the adults in the family, but my teenage boys will be cleaning out my stash.


Big Picture Farm Caramels

Big Picture Farm’s caramels made with goat’s milk, which lends complex savory notes and by a rounder, creamier, earthier, and longer-lasting flavor. The texture is velvety and melt-in-your-mouth-soft, and they are less cloyingly sweet than your traditional caramels. Big Picture Farm caramels have been awarded top honors from various food organizations.

The package is adorable and this box is filled with 20 assorted caramels in flavors like Sea Salt & Vanilla, Chai, Maple, Cocoa Latte, Raspberry Rhubarb, Brown Butter Bourbon, Cider Honey, and Wild Chocolate Mint. A nice change of pace from the expected holiday candies.


About Katie Workman

Katie Workman is a cook, a writer, a mother of two, an activist in hunger issues, and an enthusiastic advocate for family meals, which is the inspiration behind her two beloved cookbooks, Dinner Solved! and The Mom 100 Cookbook.

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