My oldest son is days away from celebrating his 18th birthday. Needless to say, this milestone event is very exciting for him but a bit sad for me.
I am so proud of the young man he has become and the wide range of interests he enjoys – especially his passion for cooking.
An 18-Year-Old Who Loves to Cook
What?! An 18-year-old who loves to cook? Let me tell you, it is AMAZING!
He actually made dinner for the family last night and it was delicious. This simple tomato sauce with ground Italian sausage and rigatoni pasta – he did a great job.
Culinary school is on his radar but he hasn’t made a final decision what he will do.
Gift Ideas for a Teen with a Passion for Cooking
With his passion for cooking in mind, I asked my son to give me a list of gift ideas he would like for his birthday.
This list includes kitchen essentials he put on his wish list. I also added a few gadgets he already received last Christmas and would be great for aspiring chefs.
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Cookbook
A cookbook featuring recipes from their favorite cuisine or chef. Believe it or not, one of the cookbooks my son owns is because of a video game he still occasionally plays.
Remember when I mentioned he has a LOT of interests? Video games have taught him so much and this one helped to expand the range of recipes he wants to try.
I don’t remember how old my son was the first time he tried sushi but he was hooked after the first bite. This was wonderful and shocking to me because I was an adult the first I tasted a simple California Roll. I gave him the sushi cookbook and this sushi making kit for his birthday last year.
- The Elder Scrolls: The Official Cookbook, Hardcover – March 26, 2019
- Sushi Cookbook for Beginners: 100 Step-By-Step Recipes to Make Sushi at Home, Paperback – July 28, 2020
Cooking Classes
Enroll your birthday boy or girl in a local cooking class or register them for an online class. I taught all three of my kids how to make simple things to eat from when they were old enough to pour cereal from a box.
However, my son’s first experience using an oven was when he was in 6th Grade at a public school. He was also a member of the school’s FCCLA chapter through the “Home Ec” class.
When he was in 7th Grade, the group of students entered the annual Autumn Fest Chili Cook-Off, sponsored by the village we live in, and they won 1st Place!
Both of my sons were fortunate to have access to these lessons at such a young age. They even learned how to sew, do laundry, and a few other necessary household skills. This type of class wasn’t available to me until I was in high school.
Unfortunately, when the teacher retired, the school eliminated the class. I was so disappointed my daughter didn’t get to have the same experience as her brothers.
Quality Chef’s Knife and Cooking Utensils Set
A high-quality chef’s knife can make a big difference in cooking experience. It goes without saying knives, in general, are sharp. Please use caution when using them.
Quality utensils like wooden spoons, spatulas, and tongs are definitely a must-have.
Kitchen Gadgets and Cookware Set
Gadgets like a spiralizer, immersion blender, or mandoline slicer can be fun and useful.
A set of pots and pans or specialty cookware like a cast-iron skillet.
Herb Garden Kit or Spice Set
A kit for growing their own herbs indoors. We live in Chicago and can’t grow anything outside during winter.
A collection of high-quality spices or a spice rack. If you need spice ideas for grilling, these are really good!
Apron
A personalized or stylish apron for cooking. This gift idea is a biggie because my son’s face LIT UP when I told him what I did.
I recently started a print-on-demand shop on Zazzle and while working on a collection of gift ideas for an 18th birthday, I designed two aprons. He loves cats so they both have a cat on them and a phrase.
The text on these aprons is customizable.
Cooking Magazine Subscription
A subscription to a cooking magazine like “Bon Appétit” or “Taste of Home.”
Kitchen Scale
A digital kitchen scale to help with precise measurements of recipe ingredients.
Cooking Torch
A culinary torch for caramelizing sugar or adding finishing touches. Scroll down to find out why he wanted this last Christmas and what he already made with it.
Pizza Stone and Cutting Board
A pizza stone for making homemade pizzas. We love homemade pizza and often use round cake pans to make a thicker crust.
A cutting board for chopping and meal prep. I personally love the ones that have the groove near the edge to capture any liquid.
Cooking Timer and Thermometer
A digital timer for keeping track of cooking times.
A digital meat thermometer for accurate temperature readings. This is perfect for the Thanksgiving turkey, anything you make on a grill or smoker, as well as when making candy.
Cooking Journal
A recipe journal for them to jot down family recipes, lesson notes, and other ideas.
These gift ideas cover a range of items that can enhance their cooking experience and help teens further explore their passion for cooking.
Bonus Kitchen Essential
While technically a baking essential, this ramekin set can be used for many recipes in both the oven and microwave. These ramekins are also safe to put in the dishwasher and freezer.
This set was on his wish list for Christmas along with the culinary torch above so that he could make crème brûlée for the first time.
Did I mention how PROUD I am of this kid?!
Photo Credit: Adelina Rosa @CheapMealsandReels. The crème brûlée my son made!
You May Also Like
- This 3-ingredient appetizer would have paired well with the pasta dish my son made. Unfortunately, we ran out of olive oil.
- While I may not be willing to make the foods listed in this post, my future chef as already learned to make at least three of them.
- This “Finally an Adult!” collection has a few more fun gift ideas to give an 18-year-old for their birthday or Christmas.
