Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Chowhound Gift Guide 2019: Best Gifts for Your Cheesy Friend

Harry and David cheese gift

We all have that friend—the turophile who raves about the nutty, creamy nuances of the latest Manchego or Bucheron.  Maybe it’s you. Or it could be your work-wife. Your boss. Your bestie from college. Your brother. Whoever it is, that person is crazy about cheese, which we consider a sane passion. Be a good buddy and fulfill their cheesy dreams.

Make their holidays by satisfying their…wait for it, wait for it…grate passion for Parmesan. Brie their best friend ever. (OK, we’re done.) Just check out our favorite cheese items.

Artisanal Cheeses

First, the cheese.

Murray’s Holiday Feast, $100 at Murray’s Cheese

Murray’s Cheese

Cheese is made gift-able with this package, great for entertaining over the holidays or for the lucky recipient to keep in the family. Three delicious cheeses are chosen by Murray’s expert cheesemongers, paired with cranberry orange jam, prosciutto, and crackers. The items come in a Murray’s signature gift crate and include: heavenly cave-aged selles-sur-cher, nutty cave-aged gruyere, stilton, spicy cranberry-orange jam, silky prosciutto di parma, and crispy sea salt olive oil crackers. The gift is 1.25 pounds of cheese and 3 ounces of meat, estimated to serve 6 to 8 festive folks.Buy Now

Award-Winning Cheeses Collection, $69.99 at Harry and David

Harry and David cheese gift

Harry and David

The five gourmet cheeses in this gift set have all won awards from the American Cheese Society and the World Cheese Awards, and span a range of styles from creamy Oregonzola (Rougue Creamery) to seductively crumbly Satori BellaVitano Merlot cheese.Buy Now

Wisconsin Cheddar Ascent Gift Crate, $36 at Wisconsin Cheese Mart

Wisconsin Cheese Mart

Your cheese enthusiast can take her/his time climbing up the ladder of aged Wisconsin cheddar, tasting the increasingly pungent flavor as the cheese matures. This gift set starts with a mild and creamy cheddar and Wisconsin’s original Colby cheddar. The flavors start emboldening, growing sharper and tangier as the taster progresses up the line. This gift crate is 2.5 pounds and includes five American-made cheeses: Wisconsin Colby, mild cheddar, sharp cheddar, white 1-year cheddar, 2-year cheddar, and a Wisconsin-made branded wooden crate.Buy Now

Plymouth Artisan Cheese Bundle, 3 for $39.96 at Williams-Sonoma

Plymouth artisan cheddar cheese

Williams-Sonoma

Plymouth Artisan Cheese is known for its deliciously old-fashioned cheddar, and this gift contains a half pound (each!) of three varieties: their sharp original heritage cheddar, sage and herb flavored cheddar, and garlic peppercorn cheddar.Buy Now

Cheesy Holiday Box, $71.50 on Mouth.com

cheese gift box

Mouth.com

But the cheese doesn’t have to stand alone; this curated collection of Plymouth Hunter Cheddar Cheese and St. Stephen Triple Cream Cheese from Four Fat Fowl come along with cassava crackers, rosemary and lemon crackers, spiced candied walnuts, and quince paste. Check out the other options on Mouth too, including a gift set that comes with a cheese board, and a “black tie” box with truffle cheese.Buy Now

Junior’s Traditional Collection Cheesecake Gift Certificate, $55.95 at Junior’s

Junior's New York Cheesecake

Junior’s

Cheese can also be for dessert—the savory stuff can stand in for sweets, or you can go for an actual cheesy baked good. New York-style cheesecake fans will be blown over when they find a Junior’s gift certificate that lets them choose their own favorite cheesecake, which will be delivered to their home anywhere in the United States. Junior’s cakes are made with cream cheese, heavy cream, eggs, and a touch of vanilla. With no water and no fillers, all cheesecakes are hand-blended in small batches and mixed for over 40 minutes. They use fresh fruit, homemade purees, imported chocolates, and fresh spices. Nothing canned. Ever. The cake is shipped frozen, chilled with gel packs.Buy Now

Cheese Utensils

Cut that stinky cheese the right way, nice and smoothly, with these tools. Cheese is important enough to require its own knife. Yet there are many cheese knives, each shaped according to the needs of different types of cheese: hard, semi-soft, soft, crumbly, and so forth. Some people like graters, or those wire knives. Spreaders are good for chevrés. So a set of different cheese utensils is your best bet for the cheese lover in your life.

Vin Kesso Cheese Knife Set, 5 for $16.99 on Amazon

Amazon

The set contains a spreading knife, soft-cheese knife, hard-cheese knife, crumbly-cheese knife, and a serving fork. Each knife is about 5.5-inches long. They’re stainless steel in a satin finish and come in a handsome case.Buy Now

Wüsthof Gourmet Wine and Cheese Set, $89.99 at Sur La Table (originally $149)

Sur la Table

Made in Germany for the last 200 years, knives with the Wüsthof name demand respect. Now they offer a oenophile cheese gift set, with a cheese plane, cheese knife, corkscrew, and 8-inch-by-12-inch bamboo board. Wüsthof cuts its knives with lasers, using a single piece of high-carbon stainless steel. There’s a lifetime warranty, but you still should hand-wash their knives.Buy Now

Personalized Engraved Cheese Knife, $17.80 on Etsy

personalized engraved cheese knife

Etsy

This vintage, silver-plated cheese knife has a mother-of-pearl handle. Stamped with “To brie or not to brie,” an endearingly cheesy phrase, we’re won over before we even take a taste. But you can get another message stamped on there if you want.Buy Now

Cuisinart Electric Fondue Maker, $37.99 on Amazon (originally $110)

Amazon

We consider this a utensil because, well, there are fondue forks in the set, and the maker helps you eat cheese in liquid form, which we like. You could also use the pot for chocolate (yasss), broth, or oil. The set includes the base, bowl, temperature probe, eight fondue forks, and a fork rack ring. The stainless-steel, 3-quart bowl has a nonstick interior. There’s a removable temperature control too, making this device adjustable for a range of recipes.Buy Now

Le Creuset Stoneware Mini Cocotte, $29.95 on Amazon

Le Creuset mini cocotte

Amazon

The adorable little stoneware crocks designed for making baked brie that made the list of Oprah’s favorite things on Amazon for 2019 are sold out at the moment, but you still have options, like this petite version of Le Creuset’s famous cocotte. The 8-ounce size is ideal for a round of cheese—and hot, gooey fromage is the ideal appetizer for any holiday party (or random Saturday night). As with mini cast iron skillets, there are doubtless several other uses you could put them to when you’re taking a break from cheese, like serving soup or snacks, or using for mise en place.Buy Now

Cheese Boards

When a regular board doesn’t cut it anymore for your cheese needs, you need to get a special surface. Most cheese boards are meant for not only slicing, but presenting your cheese to guests. Frame it right.

Cheese Board Starter Kit, $54 at Brooklyn Slate

Brooklyn Slate

For the blossoming cheese devotee, a starter kit is in order. This kit from Brooklyn Slate features the company’s signature slate cheese board, a hand-carved wooden cheese knife, a pack of soapstone pencils for writing the names of cheeses on the board, and a bottle of food-grade mineral oil for maintaining the board’s good looks. Slate cheese boards are all the rage because they’re easy to clean, don’t retain odors, are hardy, and rustic-chic. For an additional fee, you can also have this monogrammed!Buy Now

Creative Home Natural Marble Cheese Board, $29.99 on Amazon

Creative Home Natural Marble Cheese Board

Amazon

This 12-inch-diameter, round board is good for cutting, and it’s eye-catching for serving your cheeses as well. Hand wash it.Buy Now

Rustic Live Edge Black Walnut Cheese Board, $65+ on Etsy

Rustic Live Edge Black Walnut Cheese Board or Cutting Board

The Cut Nail Woodwork/Etsy

Take rustic to another level with this live-edge, handmade walnut wood board that’s great for cutting and serving cheese. Unlike slate, it’s a little harder to clean, but it’s so beautiful you might not care.Buy Now

Personalized Cheese Board with Built-In Drawer and 4-Piece Utensil Set, $46+ on Etsy

Personalized Cheese Board with Built-In Drawer and 4-Piece Utensil Set

Personalized Moments/Etsy

Or get personal with this 10-inch round wooden board that can be engraved with a monogram, logo, or motto of your choice. Even better: It includes a built-in drawer with 4 cheese utensils, making it perfect for picnics and parties for years to come.Buy Now

Cheese Reads

Cheese-focused cookbooks, magazines, coffee table beauties, and almost academic texts can take the cheese enthusiast to the next level. Salivate over the photos and learn trivia to toss out at the next party over some Gouda.

“Cheese Boards to Share: How to Create a Stunning Board for Any Occasion” by Thalassa Skinner, $19.95 on Amazon

Cheese Board book

Amazon

Cheese enthusiast does not necessarily equal cheese expert, so this professional cheese board primer is a great gift to anyone who loves cheese boards, and is full of inspiring tips and recipes for making the most of cheese. See some tips and a candied almond recipe from the book in our How to Build the Perfect Cheese Board guide.Buy Now

“The Oxford Companion to Cheese” edited by Catherine Donnelly, $38.28 on Amazon

The Oxford Companion to Cheese

Amazon

For the hard-core cheese nerds, there’s this encyclopedic tome by the esteemed publisher that brought us their trusted dictionary. Called the first major reference work dedicated solely to cheese, this companion contains 855 entries on cheese science, culture, history, and production.Buy Now

Culture Magazine, 6 issues for $30

Give a subscription to the ultimate bimonthly periodical on cheese, with stories on the world’s cheese, cheesemakers, mongers, regions, recipes, and how-to help.Buy Now

“Artisan Cheese Making at Home” by Mary Karlin, $27.80 on Amazon

Here’s a comprehensive guide to cheese making at home, with step-by-step instructions for creating your dreamiest cheeses and other dairy items, like yogurt.Buy Now

“Grilled Cheese Kitchen: Bread + Cheese + Everything in Between” by Heidi Gibson with Nate Pollak, $17.96 on Amazon

Anthropologie

This mouthwatering book features 39 grilled cheese recipes created by Heidi Gibson, winner of seven grilled cheese championships and the co-owner of the American Grilled Cheese Kitchen in San Francisco. There are 40 other recipes too, for accompaniments and side dishes, such as hearty soups, mac and cheeses, spicy pickles, and tangy spreads. And then you get tips and techniques, from buying the right stuff to grilling it to oozy, drippy perfection.Buy Now

“Artisan Vegan Cheese” by Miyoko Schinner, $9.69 on Amazon

Miyoko Schinner Artisan Vegan Cheese cookbook

Amazon

Maybe you have a former cheese hound friend who’s had to give up dairy? Help them out by gifting them this textbook on homemade vegan cheese written by the queen of vegan cheese herself, Miyoko Schinner. Just because conventional milk is no longer in one’s future, doesn’t mean one’s days of reveling in a range of gorgeous cheese are done for too. It’s surprisingly easy to make vegan cheese in several styles at home, from firm snacking cheese to melty vegan queso.Buy Now

Cheese Accessories

There is just so much. If you’re a fan of cheese, like a big one, then you have so many options to show your allegiance. Whether it’s with practical or pretty accompaniments or funky socks with mac-and-cheese splashed all over (it’s a thing), you are in luck.

Standing Stone Farms Beginner Cheese Making Kit, $24.99 on Amazon

cheese making kit

Amazon

This kit has all the accessories you need to make your very own mozzarella, burrata, chevre, ricotta, mascarpone, queso fresco, and butter. Basically, all your giftee will need to add is dairy (cow, goat, or sheep milk). Naturally, the kit includes a recipe booklet with detailed instructions on how to use everything else in it (from citric acid to calcium chloride) to churn out delicious homemade cheese.Buy Now

Cheese Survival Kit Tote Bag, $15 at Brooklyn Slate

cheese print tote bag

Brooklyn Slate

Create your very own cheese survival kit inside this well-made, sturdy and bright tote bag. Hand-pulled in Brooklyn on 100-percent cotton, the tote features an original illustration of the essentials to plate, pair, store, and savor cheese.Buy Now

Hand Made Porcelain Cheese Markers, 4 for $15 at Sur La Table

Sur la Table

This set of four cheese markers allows you to label your selections so you don’t have to continually identify them for your guests. Plus, they look pretty. You can use the included pen to label each marker and then wipe them clean when the party’s over. Some customers like the short stems for more delicate cuts of cheese.Buy Now

For a Gouda Time T-Shirt, $25 at Murray’s Cheese

Murray’s Cheese

Hey, what can we say? Cheese sells. Not everyone has to agree with it. But it’s been going on for thousands of years. To honor this institution, get your funny friend this T-shirt and call it a day—a…gouda day.Buy Now

Brie Happy Enamel Pin, $8.22+ on Etsy

brie happy enamel pin

Quinn’s Pins UK/Etsy

If your cheese lover also loves cheesy puns, this adorable enamel pin is perfect for slipping in their stocking.Buy Now

Sweet Dreams Are Made of Cheese Art Print, $8.99+ on Etsy

Etsy

They are indeed. Choose your standard size, buy a nice frame, and give someone this cool burlap print, which is a play on the beginning of that 1983 Eurythmics song. And as that blue dot says, you can even buy prints for two friends and keep one yourself, for free.Buy Now

For more great gift ideas, see our Gourmet Food and Drink Gift Guide, and our Best Kitchen Gadgets, Tools, and Appliances Gift Guide.

And see our sister sites’ tech gift guides, gaming gift guides, fashion and beauty gift guides, TV gift guides, and Rachael Ray’s gift guides too.

Related Video: How to Make Vegan Cheese



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