Searching for the perfect gifts for all the food nerds in your life this holiday season? Have no fear, our 2015 Food Tech Holiday Gift Guide is here. We’ve culled together tons of food gadgets, books, subscription boxes, gift baskets, great organizations to support and more that are sure to satisfy everyone on your list. Got more kick-ass food tech gift ideas? Please let us know in the comments below.
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For Food Innovators That Like to Partay
Want to celebrate good food innovation? Don’t miss our first-ever Future of Food Holiday Bash on December 15 in Brooklyn, NY. From at-home aquaponics to edible insects and food holograms, this is going to be a party you won’t forget. Catch up with old friends, make new ones and get down and dirty with kick-ass startups disrupting the way we eat.
Get Your Tickets
For Lovers of Kitchen Gadgets
Anova Precision Cooker: Anova’s new WI-FI and Bluetooth Precision Cookers make it even easier to cook the perfect meal—whenever and wherever. The sous vide devices connect to your smartphone, allowing you to cook the perfect meal with the touch of a button. They also come with a companion app that provides step-by-step recipe directions from professionals. Available in Bluetooth for $174.43 and WI-FI for $199 from Amazon.
KitchenAid Electric Stand Mixer: This is one of the ultimate cooking devices, sure to make anyone smile from ear to ear. Complete with whisk, paddle, and hook attachments, the mixer is great for anything from whipping up delicate creams to kneading bread. You can also buy a ton of attachments that allow you to turn the stand into anything from a pasta maker to a meat grinder. Available as 6-QT. Professional Series for $465 and in 5-QT. Artisan Stand Mixer for $262.50.
Misen Chef’s Knife: Every home cook should have a good knife, but they’re just so expensive, until now that is. Misen is a beautifully designed chef’s knife made from Japanese AUS-8 High Carbon steel. The knives are sold for the crazy affordable price of $65 ($60 if you pre-order), which the company is able to do by cutting out much of the overhead and middlemen traditional knife companies have. The knives became a cult favorite this year after food geek J. Kenji Lopez called Misen “the holy grail of inexpensive chef’s knives.” The knives are available for pre-order (ships Spring 2016) here.
Nomiku Sous Vide Immersion Circulator: The sous vide device will make it easy for your favorite home cook to cook like their favorite restaurants. The device turns any pot into a sous vide, allowing you to precise heat cook dishes to perfection. The new Nomiku WI-FI enables you to control the device from anywhere. It also comes with a companion app that allows you to search for, create and send recipes to your device. Available on Amazon for $199.99 and the wifi enabled version is available for pre-order here (may not be available before Christmas).
Oliso PRO Smart Vacuum Sealer: No sous vide gift is complete without a vacuum sealer. Recommended by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, the Oliso PRO SmartSealer offers professional level sealing thats compact enough to easily fit in a drawer, making it perfect for your city dwellers. The vacuum sealer makes it easy to seal dry foods, liquids and marinades. It comes with a 12 foot 12V DC power adapter for use in vehicles while hunting, fishing, camping, or simply on the go. It also works with accessories for wine storage and canning jars. Available for $149.99. Looking for a less pricey option? Check out the FoodSaver V2244 Vacuum Sealing System for $79.99.
Prep Pad: Prep Pad is a great gift for health-conscious home cooks. This smart food scale and accompanying app by The Orange Chef Company gives people real-time nutritional information about their food, so they better understand what they eat and learn how to make healthier cooking decisions. You can easily set nutritional goals, make and log your meals, and track your progress to health. Available for $87.99 here.
Searzall Torch Attachment: The Searzall is perfect for your favorite food nerd. The attachment turns a blowtorch into a hand-held broiler that perfectly sears your food without the off-putting aromas that typically result when cooking with blowtorches. It’s great for searing sous-vide meats, pizza, cheese, foie, grilled cheese, s’mores and more. Available for $75 here. You may also want to order the Bernzomatic High Intensity Trigger Start Torch ($40) and Standard Propane Fuel Cylinder ($10) with this.
SodaStream Genesis Home Soda Maker Starter Kit: Your bubble-loving friends will thank you for this one. Powered by a reusable CO2 carbonator, SodaStream allows anyone to create their own sparkling drinks in just seconds. Best of all, you’ll be able to say goodbye to plastic waste. Available for $86 here.
Vitamix 1710 Professional Series: Vitamix is the Cadillac of blenders. Worth every penny, the Professional Series blender allows you to chop, cream, blend, heat, grind, churn and more, with a single machine. You can make everything from a smoothie, to soup to almond milk. Available for $549 here.
For Health Nuts
UP2 Activity + Sleep Tracker by Jawbone: UP2 is a great gift for anyone who is looking to get fit or improve their health. Available in five different colors, the bluetooth-enabled wristband comes with an accompanying app that makes it easy for anyone to track their fitness and sleep. The app also offers provides stats on your activity, advice and recommendations on how to achieve your goals. Available for $100 here.
Nima: Nima is a must for your loved ones that suffer from Celiac disease or gluten intolerance. The elegantly designed, pocket sized sensor tests liquid and solid foods for the presence of gluten in about two minutes. The device makes it easy to discreetly test your food at the table, so you can dine in confidence. Nima also features an online community where people can share tips on places to go and ways to dine safely. The device is currently available for pre-order (shipping mid-2016) for $199 here.
For the DIYers & Makers
Back to the Roots AquaFarm: Great for the DIY, sustainable food folks in your life. This apartment friendly, self-cleaning fish tank grows herbs and leafy greens. All you have to do is fill with water, add the fish and plant the seeds, and viola, you’ve got your own mini aquaponic farm going on. Available for $59.99 on Amazon.
Grove Ecosystem: The Grove Ecosystem is an intelligent indoor garden that enables people to grow fresh, flavorful, and healthy food year-round. It uses fish, plants and microbes to grow vegetables, herbs and small fruits in a space the size of a bookshelf. The growing system is accompanied by a mobile app that makes it easy to control and automate the Ecosystem. Grove Ecosystem is currently available for pre-order (shipping May 2016) for $2,700 through Kickstarter. You can see the Ecosystem live at our Future of Food Holiday Bash on December 15, 2015 in Brooklyn.
Provisions:Food52’s home and kitchen e-commerce site is a goldmine of one-of-a-kind kitchen finds and impossibly beautiful artisan kits, tools and products. From copper platters and porchetta salt to make your own bitters and DIY goat cheese kits, you can find something special for the cook, designer or beautiful-trinkets lover in your life here.
For the Food Entrepreneurs
We’ve got the perfect present for your favorite food entrepreneur. What says “I love you” more that the gift of success? Our online courses in branding, crowdfunding, venture fundraising and user design are sure to help them take their business to the next level. Get 25% off all courses through Jan 1 with the code “giftofsuccess” here.
For the Bibliophiles
Cherry Bombe: This sleek and beautiful bi-annual magazine celebrates everything women and food, including farmers, chefs, makers, stylers, eaters and more. Featuring interviews and stories about icons like Ruth Reichl and Chloe Sevigny, Cherry Bombe is all about nourishment for the mind, eye and stomach. You can gift a 1-year subscription for $38 or a 2-year subscription for $75 here.
Civil Eats is the go-to resource for food movement journalism. Its stories dig deep into national food policy issues and profile food heroes from across the country. By supporting Civil Eats, you’ll be aiding it its mission to build more environmentally, economically and socially just communities. Subscribe for $25 here.
Cooking for Geeks: Real Science, Great Cooks, and Good Food – Second Edition: More than a cookbook, author and cooking geek Jeff Potter helps you apply curiosity, inspiration, and invention to the food you prepare. Why do we bake some things at 350°F / 175°C and others at 375°F / 190°C? Why is medium-rare steak so popular? And just how quickly does a pizza cook if you “overclock” an oven to 1,000°F / 540°C? This expanded new edition provides in-depth answers, and lets you experiment with several labs and more than 100 recipes–from the sweet (a patent-violating chocolate chip cookie) to the savory (pulled pork under pressure). Available in paperback for $24 and on Kindle for $22 here.
Edible Communities: No matter where your food-loving friends live, Edible Communities subscriptions make for a prize gift. With local publications across the nation, the beautifully designed quarterly magazines tell stories of local farmers, growers, chefs and food artisans. You can give the gift of local food exploration for $24 for a 1-year subscription, $42 for a 2-year and $52 for a 3-year. Check them out here.
Food+Tech Connect: We’re biased, but we think a contribution to Food+Tech Connect is the perfect gift for your favorite food innovators. Your support will ensure your loved one is able to stay on top of the latest business, tech and investment trends in food. You can also feel really awesome about keeping Food+Tech Connect free for all. Learn more here.
Lucky Peach: Luck Peach, the irreverent food magazine by David Chang and the Momofuku team, offers the perfect gift for artists and foodies alike. Each issue focuses on a single food theme, and explores it through writing, art, photography and recipes. You can gift a 4 issue subscription for $28 or an 8 issue subscription for $50. Learn more here.
Mark Bittman’s Kitchen Matrix: For years, Mark Bittman has shared his formulas, recipes, and kitchen improvisations in his popular New York Times Eat column, in which an ingredient or essential technique is presented in different variations in a bold matrix. In Mark Bittman’s Kitchen Matrix, Mark’s matrices come together to create a collection of over 400 flexible recipes covering vegetables, fruits, meats and chicken, and even desserts. Whether you’re cooking up soup (creamy, brothy, earthy, or hearty), freezing ice pops (in fruity, savory, creamy, or boozy varieties), or preparing asparagus (steamed, roasted, stir-fried, or grilled), following Mark’s approach to culinary improvisation will deliver stand-out results. Available in hardcover for $19.64 and Kindle for $18.99 here.
TACOS: Chef Alex Stupak and Jordan Rothmans’ new book is a must have for the Mexican food lover in your life. TACOS is a deep dive into the art and craft of one of Mexico’s greatest culinary exports through essays, recipes and photographs. The book teaches you how to make fresh tortillas from corn, flour and innovative grains and flavor infusions. You’ll also master salsas and fillings. Available in hardcover for $18.24 and Kindle for $16.99 here.
The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science: In The Food Lab, Serious Eats’s culinary nerd-in-residence J. Kenji López-Alt breaks down the science behind beloved American dishes, delving into the interactions between heat, energy and molecules that create great food. In hundreds of easy-to-make recipes with over 1,000 full-color images, you will find out how to make foolproof Hollandaise sauce in just two minutes, how to transform one simple tomato sauce into a half dozen dishes, how to make the crispiest, creamiest potato casserole ever conceived, and much more. Available in hardcover for $24.47 and Kindle for $19.99 here.
We the Eaters: If We Change Dinner, We Can Change the World: Ellen Gustufson’s book is the ideal selection for agriculture, public health and food policy nerds. By examining the global industrial food system using the deceptively simple template of a classic American dinner, We the Eaters outlines the root causes of hunger and obesity, while also providing a blueprint of actionable solutions that could start with changing out just a single item on your plate. Available in hardcover for $21.23 or for Kindle for $9.99 here.
For the Sustainable, Artisanal Food Lovers
Exo Protein Bars: Exo’s cricket flour-based protein bars are a great gift for your favorite insect loving, paleo and/or adventurous eaters. Developed by a three-Michelin-star chef, the bars are made with simple, whole ingredients and come in flavors like peanut butter & jelly (my personal favorite) and barbecue. Boxes of twelve bars are available for $36 and for monthly subscription for$32 here. You can taste the Exo Bars at our Future of Food Holiday Bash on December 15, 2015 in Brooklyn.
Farm to People: From pasture raised pork pâté to goat milk caramels, Farm to People makes it easy to discover and buy all kinds of products crafted by small-batch, artisanal producers. Buy individual products or select one of its scores of curated gift boxes, like Bringing Home The Bacon and Some Like It Hot, which range from $25 – $150. It also offers monthly tasting boxes which range from $30-$50. Check out Farm to People’s products here.
Mouth has a bevy of tasty treats for craft food lovers. The e-commerce marketplace showcases the best of the best in “indie” foods, from chocolate covered jalapeno corn nuts to organic chamomile bitters, and everything in between. And for the holidays the site is offering special gift packages, like 8 Nights of Hanukkah and Bring Home the Bacon. Prices range from $40 – $125. Dive in here.
For The Meal Kit & Subscription Box Types
Blue Apron delivers pre-measured ingredients and step-by-step recipes to your doorstep. It sources the best local ingredients for unique dishes – like braised Moroccan-style salmon and greens -which allows budding home cooks to spend more time in the kitchen honing their culinary skills. You can gift a 1, 2 or 4 week subscription at $9.99 per person per meal here.
Craft Coffee: This coffee subscription box is the perfect is the perfect gift for your favorite coffee and data nerd. Craft Coffee has spent years evaluating and tracking customer ratings for thousands of coffees from around the world. They know every coffee lover wants something different in their cup, so they use technology to match people with exceptional, resh-roasted coffee based on their taste preferences. Gift subscriptions start at $29.99 month and are available here.
HelloFresh delivers fresh ingredients and easy-to-follow recipes – like caramelized union shepard’s pie- to your doorstep weekly. Its recipe cards come complete with nutrition information and difficulty level rating and take roughly 30 minutes to prepare. Great for those living abroad, too, you can give the gift of one week (three meals for 2-4 people) for $69 – $79 here.
Love With Food: The snack subscription box is an awesome gift for any food explorer on your list. The company offers subscription boxes of unique, emerging natural and organic snacks for as little at $10 a month. And for every box you receive, the company donates a meal to a food bank. Additionally, you can buy or redeem points to get more of your favorite snacks on the site. Grab a gift subscription here.
Plated: delivers weekly changing recipes – like a quinoa, kimchi, and seasonal veggie rice bowl – along with all the fresh ingredients you need to prepare them directly to your door. Give your favorite person the gift of easy to make, extraordinary meals with a Plated gift certificate, which cost between $60 and $360 and can be purchased here.
The Purple Carrot: The Purple Carrot’s plant-based meal kit subscription is great for anyone who wants or needs more veggies in their life. The company ships pre-measured ingredients and recipes developed by author Mark Bittman right to your door, making it easier than ever to create ultra-fresh, plant-based meals. You can gift one of two packages: A three-night meal plan that serves two people for $68 or a two-night meal plan that serves four people for $74 here. You can meet The Purple Carrot Team at our Future of Food Holiday Bash on December 15, 2015 in Brooklyn.
WorkPerks: This is the perfect gift basket for your favorite team. WorkPerks is redefining the status quo of office snacking and empowering healthier, more productive employees through its customizable healthy snack subscription boxes. Its holiday snack boxes provide a welcome change from all the cookies and candies that seem to be falling from the sky this time of year. Their holiday boxes range from $50 to $110 and can be ordered here.
Unique Dining Experiences
Dinner Lab: Dinner Lab is a membership club that hosts dinners with up and coming chefs in 31 cities around the US. Held in unique spaces that exist for only 24 hours, the dinners allow members to explore innovative ideas in food and to try new recipes from rotating chefs. Members also give chefs feedback to help them perfect their menu. You can gift a membership for $125-$175 here.
James Beard House Gift Cards: James Beard gift cards are great for your food aficionado friends who also call themselves New Yorkers. The former home of celebrated cookbook author and television personality James Beard hosts over 20 events a month ranging from cocktail parties and dinners to talks and chef tours. You can purchase a gift card through OpenTable here.
Stocking Stuffers
Back to the Roots Garden-in-a-Can: GARDEN-IN-A-CANS make it fun and easy to grow organic herbs for months right from your windowsill. Special biochar technology inside helps prevent over-watering without messy drainage holes, saucers, transplanting, or chemicals in the soil. Just plant the included organic seeds, add water, and watch your herbs grow! THE MOISTURE-BALANCING BIOCHAR INSIDE is pretty incredible – it’s the charred remnants of organic agricultural waste (pyrolysis) – a technique mastered by the Amazonian tribes centuries ago. Biochar holds excess moisture to prevent over-watering, aerates the soil for quick root growth, and increases nutrient absorption in the soil. Available for $18 here.
Cool User Story, Bro. T-Shirts: Designed by FTC community member James Boo, these t-shirts are the ultimate holiday gift for your favorite product managers, engineers and designers in your life. A user story is a sentence expressing a need of a human being. They are really important to use as a way to ensure that you are focused on solving a problem when building technology. Grab this gift validated by market research here for $20.
Microplane 40020 Classic Zester/Grater: Trust us, your favorite home cooks will love this. Perfect for grating for cheeses, chocolates, citrus, spices, and anything else you need to grated precisely. Available for $12.95 on here.
For Supporters of the Good Food Movement
Change Food: Change Food helps individuals change the way they eat by raising public awareness, educating consumers and motivating behavior change so that all people have access to nutritious, delicious food. With as little as $20, you can help cover the cost of research for its video library and other outreach. Learn more here.
FoodCorps is a nationwide team of leaders that connects kids to real food and helps them grow up healthy. It places motivated leaders in limited-resource communities for a year of public service. They teach kids about the benefits of healthy food, build and tend school gardens and bring high-quality local food into public school cafeterias. Support youth food education by donating here.
Food & Environment Reporting Network (FERN): FERN is the first and only independent non-profit news organization that produces in-depth journalism on food, agriculture, and environmental health. Donations help FERN continue to produce stories that inform and inspire, and make lasting impact on our food system. You can learn more and donate here.
Food Tank: Food Tank is a food think tank that offers sustainable solutions to the biggest environmental and social challenges facing our food system. Through its website and events, Food Tank facilitates collaboration between players across the entire food food chain. You can donate to its Sustainers Program here to help fund new research on hunger, obesity, food justice and sustainability.
Heritage Radio Network: HRN is a radio station and media company committed to archiving and advancing our food culture and giving a voice to our leading food professionals, farmers, policy experts and tastemakers. By donating to Heritage Radio, you’ll be supporting one of the most progressive voices for food and culture radio in America. Learn more and donate here.
Museum of Food and Drink (MOFAD): MOFAD is a non-profit food museum in NYC. MOFAD aims to alter the way people think about food and inspire curiosity about what we eat. Donations will help the team plan launch the museum. The Museum currently has an exhibit focused on flavor. Learn more here.
National Young Farmers Coalition: NYFC supports, mobilizes and engages young farmers and works to ensure their success. It supports independent farms, sustainable farming practices and affordable land for farmers. Benefactors help cultivate the next generation of farmers, and additionally, they receive discounts on stuff like tools, seeds and fertilizers. Learn more here.
NY Sun Works: NYSW builds innovative science labs in urban schools. Its Greenhouse Project Initiative uses hydroponic farming technology to educate students and teachers about the science of sustainability. Its goal is to build 100 greenhouse project labs by 2020. By supporting New York Sun Works, you’ll be helping make that dream a reality. Learn more and donate here.
Real Food Media: Real Food Media aims to grow the movement for sustainable food and farming around the world through short films with big ideas. Its MythBusters series offer tools to counter food industry PR spin, including mythbusting movies, reports and a rapid response network of engaged followers. Its international short films competition, catalyzes creative shorts about food, farming and sustainability. Learn more about Real Food Media here.
Slow Food USA: Slow Food is on a mission to make good, clean and fair food accessible to all. It has 175 local and campus chapters that coordinate local activities, projects and events. By donating to Slow Food, you’ll help support school gardens and family-style community suppers and help strengthen local food culture. Learn more and donate here.
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