In my opinion, the best gifts for Mother’s Day are those that make mom happy and that also make my life a little easier. Like, I sent her one last year Burlap & barrel spice set. She loved that Vietnamese cinnamonand I loved that the next time I baked banana bread, I didn’t have to use condiments that had expired in the 80s. I know that I am not alone here! We love our mothers, ummas, and nurses, and many of us have learned how to cook on their apron strings – but there are things about their kitchens that drive us crazy. Mother’s Day is the perfect excuse to give them the upgrade of a kitchen tool and the gift of not cutting yourself with a knife that hasn’t been sharpened in a decade. Just make sure you have some flowers or throw beautiful chocolates also. Here you will find the selection of our editors for the best Mother’s Day gifts for 2021.
My mom is the true queen of the tchotchkes and their cuisine is no exception. Her measuring spoons are a porcelain set with decorative swirls that she absolutely got in the aisle for handling housewares (we love a good sale). So pretty! So impractical! It’s a shame because my mother is not only a tchotchke hoarder, she also loves to bake, and every great baker needs a set of functional measuring spoons. These Oxo Good Grips Set is what I have at home and I would love to give my mom a set too. They are magnetic so they stay nested in their drawer, but they are very easy to pull apart when you are ready to use them. Keep the trinkets for the living room, mom! –Emily Schultz, Social Media Manager
Oxo stainless steel measuring spoon
Whenever I want to grate fresh Parmesan or peel a lemon in my mother’s house, I am confronted with my old nemesis: a new mini-grater the size of a doll’s hairbrush. Who is this grater for? Elves? Babies with a culinary disposition? Maybe it’s the perfect size to toss your purse for for parmesan emergencies, but it’s a terrible size for everything else. Mom gets one for Mother’s Day Microplane whether she wants one or not. –MacKenzie Chung Fegan, senior trade editor
My mom is an environmentally conscious woman who washes away plastic bags, Compost like a champion and save leftover salmon for our omega-loving doggos. Their crunchy cereal vibes are family stories, which is why their coffee strategy amazes me: My mom owns a different brand Nespresso machine that uses coffee pods. (Yes, I’m talking about those infamous little plastic cups for choking turtles.) I know she’s only stuck at The Machine because a) she’s picky about her flat whites and b) technology is an enemy. I am confident that this is adorable Smeg espresso machine will convert them. There aren’t too many beeps or buttons, and it draws a nice shot AND froths milk at the same time. Did I mention that it is also the most beautiful coffee machine in the world? –Ali Francis, Associate Editor
While I look just like my mom, every time I see her using a plastic fork as a whisk, I wonder how we could possibly be related. On this Mother’s Day I would like to spoil you with a real one Wire whisk that doesn’t snap under the weight of a thick dough. We may not agree on all points, but I hope she will see that I am right on this point. –Chala Tyson Tshitundu, editorial assistant
Like most South Asian chefs, my mother doesn’t own a measuring cup. She’s a great cook who throws in a little of this and a little of that and lets instincts guide her. The only problem is that I find it hard to replicate their recipes at home as nothing is standardized! I want to get her a set for Mother’s Day good measuring cup So she can write down her recipes and pass them on to future generations. –Rachel Gurjar, Associate Food Editor
Oxo stainless steel measuring cup
My mother’s black corduroy jacket from the 80s is cool. Your juicer is not from the same time. The gigantic two-part situation with cup and reamer always falls apart in the drawer, and once you have them together it creates juice that is sprinkled with seeds – not sweet! So I’m upgrading them to a this year one-piece squeezerwhich takes a lot less effort for a much less shabby result. Even the driest limes and most oversized lemons don’t match the double-lever technology of this squeezer – and the yellow color of the warning tape makes it easy for my mom’s boomer eyes to spot them. –Amanda Shapiro, digital editor
I love to cook for my mom whenever I visit, but every time I do Garlic Fried RiceI forget she doesn’t have a rice cooker. To their credit, there are many other ways to make perfect rice (usually standard) Oven rice when I get home) and she’s never been one to collect failed gadgets – the more buttons and settings, the less likely she is to use them. But in my eyes, the best Mother’s Day gifts are a little luxurious and a little selfish. I would get her so cute Zojirushi rice cooker with one button You – and more importantly, me – will always be just a push of a button away from the perfect rice. –Nico Avalle, digital production assistant
My in-laws live in Provo, Utah. Height: 4,551 feet. I love cooking for her when I visit, but when I use her oven it never goes quite right. It’s slightly embarrassing to be known as “the daughter-in-law who works in a grocery store but never knows when her cakes are ready”. So I’m trying to figure out how to customize my baked goods and stews for great heights. Next time I’m in Utah, I’ll bring one Thermoworks DOT oven thermometer So I can eliminate a variable and set the oven temperature precisely. –MacKenzie Chung Fegan, senior trade editor
Thermoworks oven thermometer
My parents have a collection of extremely old, yellowed, non-heat-resistant rubber spatulas. They melt at the sight of an open flame and are so old that the gum has started pilling. Like a sweater. Did you even know it was possible? The Mother’s Day present that my mother doesn’t know she needs is one Get it spatula right. It’s made of heat-resistant silicone and is smooth like a dolphin – no pilling in sight. –Christina Chaey, Senior Food Editor
