30+ Essential Gifts for Their First Grown-Up Kitchen
Moving into a grown-up home for the first time means bringing along home goods fit for the milestone (like stainless steel flatware instead of random plastic) and ditching belongings that, well, belong in a dorm.
But "adulting" means more than replacing red solo cups with actual wine glasses. The time has come to invest in staples like cookware, linens, and a food processor. Help your favorite young adults assimilate into the world of renter's insurance and HOA fees with gifts they could use right about now.
Great Kitchen Gifts for First Homes in 2021
Set in Stoneware
Glazed stone-white dinnerware strikes a balance between classic design and on-trend minimalism. This 12-piece set includes four of all the first kitchen basics: dinner plates, salad plates, and cereal bowls.
Buy It: Finn Stoneware 12-Piece Dinnerware Set, $79; potterybarn.com
Drinks on Me
Perfect for small kitchens, these sturdy, stackable glasses will keep them hydrated — or at least drinking something.
Buy it: Bormioli Rocco Rock Bar Stackable Beverage Glasses, Set of 6, $17.99; amazon.com
Made to Order
A professional chef helped design these top-notch, editor-praised sheet pans, but you wouldn't know it from their price. Made In sells directly to consumers, eliminating the extra cost of going through a retailer.
Buy It: Made In Sheet Pan, $19-25; madeincookware.com
Bake It Off
This three-piece stoneware bakeware set has a sleek, Scandinavian-like feel. Complete with bamboo lids, these dishes are also practical for meal-prep sessions, keeping just-baked cinnamon rolls warm, and transporting baked pasta to parties.
Buy It: Baking Dishes with Bamboo Lids, Set of 3, $49.95; crateandbarrel.com
Make Cooking Look Cool
From Elizabeth Van Lierde, aka the "Millennial Martha Stewart" and the blogger behind the College Housewife, Everyday Entertaining offers plenty of inspiration for party food, cocktails, and hosting like a pro.
Buy it: Everyday Entertaining: 110+ Recipes for Going All Out When You're Staying In, $20; Amazon
In an Instant
A true game changer, the Instant Pot Duo doesn't just cook food up to 70 percent faster. It's also programmed with settings for sous vide, baking, and preparing everything from rice to ribs.
Buy it: Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker, $89; amazon.com
There's a Map for That
A serving tray will equip them to entertain in their new home, and this one comes customized with a map of someplace special to them, whether it's their hometown, college town, favorite vacation spot, or new neighborhood.
Buy It: Custom Map Serving Tray, $65; uncommongoods.com
Lovely Linens
Machine-washable table linens are a must. Classic, French-inspired stripes make these cotton napkins fit for dinner parties.
Buy It: Black Villa Stripe Napkins, Set Of 4, $7.96; worldmarket.com
Hold Your Own
This cotton chambray oven mitt is easy on the eyes and the hands.
Buy It: Cotton Chambray Oven Mitt Blue - Project 62, $6; target.com
As Spoon As Possible
Mason Cash's six-piece set of wooden kitchen utensils features a baker's spoon, slotted spoon, slotted turner, balloon whisk, pastry brush, and spatula. What's more, it comes with silicone attachments for a jar scraper and reamer to make it extra useful.
Buy It: Mason Cash Innovative 3-Piece Kitchen Utensil Set, $28.99; bedbathandbeyond.com
Signed, Sealed, Delivered
This set of 10 glass containers and 10 BPA-free plastic lids will cover all their food storage needs. The lids lock to prevent spills and keep food fresh, and the entire set is safe for the dishwasher, fridge, freezer, and microwave.
Buy it: Amazon Basics Glass Locking Lids Food Storage Containers, 20-Piece Set, $32.99; amazon.com
Rest Assured
Another multitasker from Mason Cash, this glazed stoneware spoon rest includes measurement conversions to save cooks the trouble of googling the answer, again.
Buy It: Mason Cash Innovative Kitchen Spoon Rest, $4.98; worldmarket.com
Home Sewn
Your gift recipient can proudly rep their home state with these colorful dish towels, each illustrated with landmarks, local traditions, hometown heroes, and more.
Buy It: State Dish Towel, $23; uncommongoods.com
Host With the Most
They may not be ready to host a dinner party just yet, but this set will prime them to serve drinks and appetizers like a pro. It comes with tomato and pepper serving trays (perfect for crudités), a charcuterie board made of wood and marble, cheese markers, a cheese knife, and cocktail napkins.
Buy It: Crudités & Charcuterie, $75; getcasamia.com
Fried and True
Made from hard-anodized aluminum and a PFOA-free coating, the Anolon Advanced Home Hard-Anodized Nonstick Skillet will come in clutch for everything from pan-fried fish to pancakes. In fact, our product tester named it the "Best Overall" nonstick skillet.
Buy It: Anolon Advanced Home Hard-Anodized Nonstick Skillet 10.25-inch, $59.99; bedbathandbeyond.com
Good, Clean, Fun
Orange, yellow, and black stripes outline the waffled texture of these absorbent cotton dishcloths. Who would reach for paper towels over this eco-conscious alternative?
Buy It: Waffle Weave Dishcloths, 3 Count, $9.99; worldmarket.com
The Slice Is Right
One good chef's knife — like this affordable, durable 8-inch knife from Mercer Culinary — can replace an entire block for the home cook.
Buy It: Mercer Culinary Renaissance 8-Inch Forged Chef's Knife, $54.95; amazon.com
Cut Above the Rest
This gorgeous maple cutting board from John Boos won our product tester's vote for "Best Wooden Cutting Board" thanks to its sturdiness, stature, and juice groove. It reverses to a flat surface, meaning it can even double as a cheese board or serving platter.
Buy It: John Boos Reversible Maple Wood Cutting Board with Juice Groove, $89.95; amazon.com
Double Dutch
A practical heirloom? Yes, please. Our product tester dubbed this Great Jones enameled cast-iron beauty the "Best Oval Dutch Oven" for its quality, price, and design. (It comes in seven stylish matte colors.) At six quarts, it can cook anything from an entire chicken to a batch of cinnamon rolls.
Buy It: The Dutchess, $160; greatjones.com
Gift Bags
A set of four reusable bags from Stasher will come in handy time and again. Made from non-toxic, food-safe silicone, these bags can go in the freezer, microwave, and dishwasher.
Buy It: Stasher Reusable Sandwich Bags, Set of 4, $48; westelm.com
In-can-ito
Made with real ingredients and 80-90% less sugar than traditional mixers, AVEC's sparkling beverages come in five unique flavors that mix well with company and any spirit. A festive housewarming gift, the AVEC Sampler packs in 15 cans.
Buy it: The Sampler, Pack of 15, $45; showfields.com
The Perfect Pan
Fact: Every home cook needs a cast iron skillet. Lodge's skillets have a well-deserved reputation for durability, heating food evenly, and releasing food without it sticking.
Buy it: Lodge 10-1/4-Inch Pre-Seasoned Skillet, $17.90; amazon.com
To the Letter
We consider this top-rated design the best coffee mug to gift. Each of these 26 sturdy stoneware mugs features a letter in a modern typeface — a safe bet no matter your gift recipient's taste.
Buy It: Monogram Mug, $10; potterybarn.com
Smooth Move
Easy to use and easy to clean a NutriBullet countertop blender will help them maintain healthy habits in their first grown-up place. It also comes with a smoothie recipe book for inspiration.
Buy it: NutriBullet NBR-0601 Nutrient Extractor, $50; amazon.com
Hanging Out
Bottle magnet strips will help keep their fridge organized because, hey, it's probably stocked with beer anyway.
Buy It: BottleLoft, $30; uncommongoods.com
Glass Half Full
Use these simple, stackable glasses for wine, ice cream, condiments, water, whatever.
Buy It: Bodega 7 oz. Glasses (Set of 12), $19.95; crateandbarrel.com
Placemat Perfect
These stone-washed linen placemats will protect their table and look effortlessly cool doing it, thanks to their naturally wrinkled texture and modern muted hues.
Buy It: Magic Linen Placemats (Set of 2), $19; urbanoutfitters.com
Bowled Over
Gift them one of these colorful, abstract bowls (or a mismatched set!) for tossing salads, mixing batters, and serving chips.
Buy It: Hand-Painted Pattern Pop Bowls - Large, $16.50; westelm.com
Spice World
They may not own 20 kinds of spices yet, but this spice rack and clear glass spice jars will help keep their collection organized from the start.
Buy it: Amazon Basics 20-Jar Spice Organizer Rack, $31.99; amazon.com
Slice and Dice
Chopping veggies, shredding cheese, and pureeing sauces becomes much, much easier with this 8-cup food processor.
Buy It: Hamilton Beach Food Processor, Slicer and Vegetable Chopper with Compact Storage, $40; amazon.com
Whiskey Business
Contribute to their grown-up home bar with a nice (but affordable) set of crystal whiskey glasses.
Buy it: LUXU Whiskey Glasses, Set of 4, $16.69; amazon.com
Slow and Steady
This Hamilton Beach slow cooker holds six quarts, which translates to a six-pound chicken, a whopping 24 cups of soup, and a lot of leftovers. Affordable and reliable, it came in second in our list of The 12 Best Slow Cookers to Buy in 2021.
Buy It: Hamilton Beach Set & Forget Programmable Slow Cooker, $50; amazon.com