18 Stellar Mother’s Day Gifts for Every Type of Mom
My mom always tells me that the best Mother’s Day gift is a card or that I’m “gift enough,” but one time I went full splurge at Sephora on a luxe skincare set and learned what real adoration feels like. I’ve never skimped since. If you’re looking for thoughtful gift ideas for the mom who cooks—or at least likes to eat what you cook—I’m here to help you claim the title of Favorite Child once and for all. Below, a list of the best Mother’s day gifts for moms who grill, bake, sip tea with abandon, shake a mean mezcal margarita, or scold you for not rinsing the rice three times. (And if you’re looking for even more 2022 Mother’s Day gift ideas—specifically for a new mom, a mother-in-law with a green thumb, or a mom who could really use a kitchen tool upgrade—we’ve got you covered.)
Anything from equitable, single origin spice company Diaspora Co. will be treasured in a cook’s pantry. But for the frequent bakers (or just the cocoa drinkers), you cannot top Diaspora Co.’s intense, layered, and just downright delicious cacao, grown in Anamalai, a village in Tamil Nadu. The high fat content in this cacao powder—thank luscious cocoa butter for that—allows the raspberry, cream, and caramel flavors to shine. One 600 gram chef-sized bag will make 52 cups of hot cocoa, 20 chocolate birthday cakes, or 243 cappuccinos finished with a teaspoon of dusted chocolatey goodness.
Your mom has received eighteen coffee mugs from you over the years. Enough. This year, prove you’re a grown up and get her a quality kettle instead. This Le Creuset stunner comes in a zillion colors, but I’m only somewhat a grown up, so I’m partial to this very Gen Z shade of green.
Bachan, which translates to “granny” in Japanese, is a line of small batch vegan sauces derived from a family recipe. The OG is a Japanese BBQ sauce that gets its savory saltiness from soy sauce, mirin, tomato paste, ginger, rice vinegar, and garlic; its sweetness from cane sugar; and a little lush nuttiness from sesame oil. Bachan builds on those flavors with a spicy variety, a bright yuzu-spiked sauce, and a gluten free version. This gift set comes with four squeezy bottles for plenty of saucy BBQs.
My mom taught me how to grill, and yet every year the internet tells me the best Mother’s Day gifts are bath bombs, throw blankets, and pajama sets, not the sick heatproof gloves I think she’d really like. This year, I’m paying no mind to targeted ads and pampering her with a portable fire pit. At 30” in diameter, it’s small enough to fit on a deck or in a small garden and light enough to pick up and move should she want to take it camping or to the beach, park, or tailgate. The wide, shallow base makes for an ideal s’more fireplace as is, but an added grate on top turns it into a fully functional grill.
A few months ago, I did a chocolate tasting with Dandelion bars—a pal and I unwrapped squares and savored them with closed eyes, then wrote down the flavors we noted. I was skeptical my taste buds would get more than, well, chocolate. But Dandelion, which is a single-origin maker based out of San Francisco, surprised me—I tasted strawberries, molasses, and fudge in these complex bars. I’ve thought about that chocolate every week since. This bar set is the upgrade Mom needs if she’s a square-of-dark-chocolate-after-dinner enthusiast.
IMHO, the ban on single-use kitchen gadgets does not apply to the glorious rice cooker. (Our test kitchen loves this one from Zojirushi.) But if you know your mother would only begrudgingly give up counter space in her minimalist kitchen to another electronic, get her one of these pretty stovetop rice pots from GreenPan instead. Yes, their slick ceramic coating, deep construction, and tight fitting lid mean fluffy, perfectly cooked rice every time. But they’re also just as useful for any other grain or legume your mom wants to cook, whether it be dal or orzo.
You cannot make a fresh cup of coffee without fresh beans. Help Mom upgrade her set-up with a Trade coffee subscription, which takes into account her flavor preferences, go-to brewing method, and even add-ins like oat milk, cream, and sugar, before recommending choice bags of beans from excellent roasters. Monthly subscriptions start at $14.75 a bag and have no minimum requirement. You can choose the frequency of Mom’s subscription box and whether she’d like the beans ground or whole, too.
I am not trying to suggest your mother’s pie crust isn’t perfect. (It’s perfect!) But a rolling pin with numeric markers provides an easy cheat when measuring out the length or diameter of doughs—especially handy if she’s making a big batch of pastry, freezing it, and then portioning off bits whenever hungry children come around begging for pie. The adjustable silicone rings on this rolling pin are beefy enough to measure out the ideal thickness for cookies, tart linings, or biscuits.
Mother’s Day pancakes are well and good, but a sweet little set of jam, to be enjoyed morning after morning, is the gift that keeps on giving long past that May morning. Vermont-based V Smiley Preserves’ gift set (which comes with an optional but very cute sunny yellow tote bag) is packed with a few of their floral best sellers: think flavors like Cherry Rosehip Hibiscus, Raspberry Red Currant Geranium, and Lavender Blackberry Rhubarb. Sweetened only with honey, they’re the perfect gift for the mom whose idea of “self-care” is breakfast for one.
Well balanced and gently smoky, Vamonos Riendo mezcal is made from two types of agaves—eight-year-old Espandín and Tobalá, which takes around fourteen years to reach maturity. Inspired by the celebratory pechuga style of mezcals, it’s triple-distilled, with fruit added to the still during the final pass. The resulting liquid is citrusy and vegetal, making it ideal for either sipping straight or topped with a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Mom can toast to Vamonos Riendo’s charitable efforts as well; they’re currently supporting a project to mitigate drought in a community on the outskirts of Oaxaca City.
When I moved from New York to London last year, my Material kitchen goods were some of the first things I unpacked. Each item is made deliberately and with long-lasting components; the quality is confusingly good for the price point. This shockingly sharp 8-inch knife, which boasts a blade made of corrosion-resistant Japanese stainless steel, is comfortable in the palm of your hand, thanks to a somewhat grippy handle and a balanced weightiness. A stellar knife only stays stellar if it’s cared for though: Gift mom the knife sharpener too.
My childhood chore was setting the table. If yours was too, this colorful set of handwoven Colombian placemats is a way to thank Mom for honing your tablescaping skills at an early age—despite your grumbling. Made from hand-dyed leaves of the palm-like jipijapa tree, each one is slightly unique and looks just as at home indoors as it does out. Choose from a set of eggplant and lemon yellow, bright pink laced with green, or a two-tone blue.
Okay okay, if you do really want to get mom a mug (or if you’re reading this on May 6 and need a last-minute, Amazon Prime-able gift), why not make it something chip-proof? That way it’ll stand up to decades of use—more than can be said for the wobbly, handmade mug you gifted her during your unfortunate middle school ceramics phase, right? This one doubles as a camp cup too.
I fell in love with Atelier Saucier’s colorful-edged napkins last year, but even though they’re machine washable, I don’t always bring them out for fear of Negroni stains. The brand’s oilcloth tablecloths are the answer—just as cheerfully hued, but a quick wipe down returns them to perfect order. Ideal for that inevitable spill of maple syrup or smooshed pat of butter come Mother’s Day brunch.
Ammu, which translates to mother from Bengali, is a book of London-based chef Asma Khan’s family recipes—both those passed down from her mother (to whom the book is dedicated) and those she cooks for her family now. The food is warming, comforting, and fairly simple—expect gorgeous biryanis like those she serves family-style at her restaurant Darjeeling Express alongside methi chicken and a lentil dal. Ammu pubs after Mother’s Day, but noting a gift to look forward to in Mom’s card will go a long way—more than those IOU breakfast-in-bed coupons of your youth.
So you’ve done family taco night and everyone fought over who got to press the tortillas. Now, keep them soft and warm until they get to the table! These pretty little pouches are a collab between prop stylist, natural dye wizard, and BA contributor Kalen Kaminski and Masienda, our go-to for masa harina and other single-origin Mexican ingredients. Of course, this tortillero looks best when filled to the brim with a stack of tender, freshly pressed tortillas—but off duty, it’s just as good for storing doodads.
Ever since contributor Emma Wartzman wrote about these chic, sleek coasters, I’ve been hooked on Graf Lantz, a highly specific retailer that specializes in merino wool felt. My coffee table, although not in the slightest bit precious, will never even think of developing a water ring, it’s so strewn with coasters. These trivets do the same job, on a larger scale. Ideal for a hot Dutch oven of your mom’s classic braise that goes right from the oven to the table.
A great gift for moms who have been reminding you to write your thank you notes for the past thirty-two years. London-based Papier makes custom stationery at a palatable cost in fun designs, without compromising on the satisfyingly thick paper quality. This notecard set was sketched by groovy UK interior designer Matilda Goad. For a personalized gift, select the color and font of your chosen monogram, and pair with the corresponding notepads for to do lists and grocery lists.
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