Ooni · Kitchen & Grilling
Koda 2 Max Gas Pizza Oven
Gives him a party trick with a ninety-second cook time.
$500–$1,000
Buy This for Him →The Boyfriend Kitchen · /mens-kitchen-upgrades/
The Boyfriend Kitchen: gear that makes him cook
There is a reliable pattern in men who start cooking: it begins with one piece of equipment that is more fun than it is necessary. A pizza oven, a good knife, a grill with a temperature probe. The equipment creates the habit rather than the other way round.
So we would not buy him a cookbook. We would buy the object that makes Saturday into an event and let the cooking follow.
As an Amazon Associate, Build a Boyfriend earns from qualifying purchases. How this works.
The one that starts the habit
Ninety-second cook times, twenty-four inches wide, and a summer of people coming over. This is the highest-return kitchen purchase on the site.
The tools he keeps for twenty years
Hammered Damascus steel and a walnut block. A man with beautiful knives cooks more — remind him they do not go in the dishwasher.
Shun · Kitchen & Grilling
Premier 15-Piece Knife Block Set
Hammered Damascus steel. The knives that make him want to cook.
$1,000+
Shop Now →
The renovation tier
Gas on top for control, electric below for even heat, forty-eight inches wide for a double oven. A project, not a gift.
Cast iron, steel and a thermometer
The three things that improve cooking more than any appliance.
Ooni · Kitchen & Grilling
Ooni Koda 16 Propane Gas Pizza Oven
Sixteen inches, gas, and hot enough for proper leoparded crust in ninety seconds.
$250–$500
See Price →
Le Creuset · Kitchen & Grilling
Le Creuset Enamelled Cast Iron Dutch Oven, 7.25 qt
Lifetime warranty, and the one pot that does braises, bread and stock equally well.
$250–$500
Shop Now →
Breville · Kitchen & Grilling
Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro
Replaces the toaster, the air fryer and most of what the main oven gets used for.
$250–$500
See Price →
Breville · Kitchen & Grilling
Breville Smart Oven Pro
The version without the air fryer, which most people do not miss.
$250–$500
Shop the Pick →
Vitamix · Kitchen & Grilling
Vitamix 5200 Professional-Grade Blender
Seven-year warranty and enough motor to make soup by friction. Buy once.
$250–$500
Get It Here →
Zwilling · Kitchen & Grilling
ZWILLING Twin Signature 3-Piece Knife Set, Made in Germany
Chef's, paring and utility, made in Solingen. The three knives that do everything.
$100–$250
Buy This for Him →
Zwilling · Kitchen & Grilling
Zwilling Professional S 3-Piece Knife Set
Zwilling's professional line. Heavier, better balanced, and sharpened once a year rather than weekly.
$100–$250
Shop the Pick →
Weber · Kitchen & Grilling
Weber Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill, 22 in
Unchanged since 1952 because it was right. Charcoal, and the ash catcher is worth the premium.
$100–$250
See Price →
Weber · Kitchen & Grilling
Weber Original Kettle Charcoal Grill, 22 in
The base model. A hundred and fifty dollars for a grill that outlives most marriages.
$100–$250
Shop the Look →
Anova · Kitchen & Grilling
Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker 3.0
Steak at exactly the temperature he wants, every time, with no skill required.
$100–$250
Shop the Look →
Sonder Los Angeles · Kitchen & Grilling
Sonder Los Angeles End Grain Walnut Cutting Board
End grain is kinder to a knife edge than any other board. It also looks like furniture.
$100–$250
Shop the Look →
Lodge · Kitchen & Grilling
Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet with Handle Holder, 12 in
Twelve inches with a handle cover. The pan he will still own in thirty years.
Under $100
Get It Here →
Lodge · Kitchen & Grilling
Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet, 10.25 in
The 10.25 is the everyday size. Costs less than dinner and outlives every non-stick pan.
Under $100
Get It Here →
ThermoMaven · Kitchen & Grilling
ThermoMaven Professional Instant Read Meat Thermometer
Half-second reads. The difference between a good steak and an argument.
Under $100
Shop the Pick →
Weber · Kitchen & Grilling
Weber Premium Grill Cover for Spirit Gas Grills
The unglamorous purchase that doubles how long the grill lasts. Nobody buys it for themselves.
Under $100
Get It Here →
Utopia Kitchen · Kitchen & Grilling
Utopia Kitchen 12-Inch Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet
Twenty-five dollars. Sears better than anything non-stick and will outlive both of you.
Under $100
Shop the Pick →
Lodge · Kitchen & Grilling
Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Dual Handle Pan, 12 Inch
Two handles, so it goes from hob to oven to table without a fight. The highest-rated pan here.
Under $100
Shop the Pick →
Sharp Pebble · Kitchen & Grilling
Sharp Pebble Whetstone Sharpening Stone, 1000/6000
Learning to use a stone is the difference between owning good knives and having good knives.
Under $100
Shop Now →
King · Kitchen & Grilling
King Whetstone Starter Set, 1000/6000 Grit
King have made Japanese water stones since 1938. The one to graduate to.
Under $100
Get It Here →
Yosukata · Kitchen & Grilling
Yosukata 13.5-Inch Pre-Seasoned Carbon Steel Wok
Flat bottom for a domestic hob, carbon steel so it takes real heat. Non-stick within a month of use.
Under $100
Shop Now →
Craft Wok · Kitchen & Grilling
Craft Wok Hand-Hammered Carbon Steel Wok
Hand-hammered in Guangzhou, wooden handle. The one restaurants actually use.
Under $100
Buy This for Him →
Kaluns · Kitchen & Grilling
Kaluns 30-Piece BBQ Grill Tool Set
Skewers, basket, thermometer and tongs in an aluminium case. The whole grill problem.
Under $100
See Price →
imarku · Kitchen & Grilling
imarku 7-Inch Japanese Santoku Knife
A santoku is shorter and flatter than a chef's knife, which suits most home cooks better.
Under $100
Shop the Pick →
Kitchen FAQ
What is the best kitchen gift for a boyfriend?
An outdoor pizza oven, by a distance. It is the rare kitchen purchase that produces a social event rather than a chore, and the Ooni Koda 2 Max is big enough to cook for a group instead of one person at a time.
Is an expensive knife set worth it?
One excellent chef's knife matters more than a fifteen-piece block. But a block set is the better gift, because it looks like a gift and it removes every excuse — including the paring knife he does not own.
What does dual fuel mean on a range?
Gas burners on top and electric ovens below. Gas gives instant control on the hob; electric holds a more even temperature for baking. It is the configuration most professional kitchens use at home.