Best Father’s Day Food Gifts for Every Dad – CNET

This story is part of Gift Guide, our year-round collection of the best gift ideas.

No two dads take the exact same approach to cooking and eating. If you’re seeking an edible or drinkable Father’s Day gift, you should consider your own father’s culinary complexion before settling on one. While some dads like to walk right up to the fire, tame the flame and put on a proper barbecue spectacle for the entire block, others choose a more delicate approach by fine-tuning the flavors in their best sole meunière or bouillabaisse recipe. Others skip the cooking experience altogether, opting to sip a fine rum, porter or Cab Franc as they await that evening’s dinner reservation.

No matter what approach your dad takes to the eating and drinking of it all, we’ve considered a great many fatherly types in putting together our list of best Father’s Day food gifts for 2022. We even scouted out the best food and drink subscriptions that’ll keep him saddled with good eats (and you in good favor) long after June 19. 

So, then. Feast your eyes are our favorite Father’s Day gifts in 2022 for every type of food-loving dad.

Read more: Father’s Day 2022: Best Gifts for Dad

Mouth

The only thing better than a box of pickles is a box of pickles that’ll get you tipsy. This clever assortment includes booze-infused creations like bourbon beets, gin-soaked cucumbers, tomatoes pickled in red wine and hoppy (that’s beer hops) pickles. Dad’s Bloody Mary bar just got a serious upgrade.

Campo Grande

One variety of meat that needs no sauce is rich, marbled Iberico pork. Campo Grande specializes in the stuff and you can saddle Dad with a box of pork like he’s never had before. This assortment comes with one four-rib rack, one 21- to 28-ounce Presa boneless roast, 18 to 25 ounces of Abanico or Pluma cuts with rich marbling and a 14- to 21-ounce Secreto (the best-kept “secret” cut, according to Spanish butchers). They’re all Iberico and impossibly tasty. This pork sampler might seem pricey but it’s close to 20 servings of top-grade meat. 

Bean Box

If the series Seinfeld had a signature drink it would definitely be coffee — a favorite of both the character and the actor/creator himself. Bean Box has capitalized on Seinfeld’s constant caffeine craving for Father’s Day with an exclusive coffee collection, and it would make an excellent gift for any Seinfeld- and coffee-consuming dad. 

The collection includes four 1.8-ounce packs of artisan coffees inspired by the characters we love. Those include Elaine’s “Little Kicks,” Kramer’s “Giddy Up,” George’s “Serenity Now,” and Jerry’s “Diner Blend.” The four-pack of java is available in freshly ground or whole bean. Sadly, the mug is not included. 

Lodge

Once those pretty steaks, chicken thighs and burgers come off the grill, you’ll want somewhere to put them that doubles as a serving platter so as not to dirty more dishes than necessary. Lodge makes a handsome set with a cast-iron platter sitting atop a hardwood base to protect the table from burns.

Ron Centenario/CNET

Whiskey gets all the attention these days but a good aged rum is about as good a sipper as you’ll find. This 25-year-old Costa Rican rum is impossibly smooth with all the notes you want in a good rum; tobacco, molasses, caramel and some oak. Do get this excellent rum for Dad but don’t let him mix it with cola.

Universal Yums

Show me someone who doesn’t love snacks and I’ll show you a darn liar. But the snacks available to you (or Dad) in a local store are only the beginning. Great snack box subscriptions find and deliver the best snacks from every munchable region of the world on a monthly basis. It’s the big leagues for serious snackers. 

Universal Yums is an excellent service that curates snacks from a different region of the world each month, but you can read CNET’s list of the best snack boxes in 2022 to see all your options.

Sunbasket

If Dad likes to cook or you suspect he wants to learn, a meal kit is a fun way to introduce new recipes and culinary skills. Sunbasket is my favorite meal kits out of them all (yes, I’ve tested them all) so score him a gift certificate to try a few excellent and easy meals to make at home. 

Walmart

If Dad fancies himself a master flame tamer, this hat will let the whole neighborhood know what kind of skills he’s hiding up his sleeve. 

Grill Master’s Club

Everyone knows the best thing about barbecue is the sauce. With this sizzling subscription box, Dad’ll get four to five grilling and barbecue products including barbecue sauces, dry rubs, marinades and hot sauces. You can send a one-month drop but the longer you subscribe the cheaper it gets, starting at $33 a month for 12 months. 

Stanley

A classic thermos fit for a classic guy. This 45-ounce vacuum-sealed bottle is the place to keep the hot things hot and the coldies cold. Perfect for soup, coffee, tea, water or a hot toddy at the tailgate.

Harry & David

Rather than take a chance on something you think he’ll like, you can always opt for something you simply know he’ll like. Harry & David’s Supreme Meat and Cheese Box is exactly what it sounds like — meat and cheese. For $70 (currently on sale for $55) he’ll get the following snacks and spreads to liven up that next home happy hour. 

  • Hickory-smoked summer sausage 
  • Thuringer sausages (2)
  • Sharp white cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
  • Gouda cheese (6 ounces)
  • Pepper Jack cheese (8 ounces)
  • Sicilian Jack cheese (8 ounces)
  • Olive oil and sea salt water crackers (4 ounces)
  • Three-seed crackers
  • Pepper and Onion Relish
  • Honey hot mustard (2 jars)

Kramer by Zwilling

Knives made by the illustrious Bob Kramer take several years to actually get thanks to a very long waiting list. They’re also wildly expensive but the knifemaker designed a line in tandem with Zwilling and those are much more attainable. This balanced 8-inch Meiji chef’s blade made from Damascus steel is one Dad will brag to his next dinner party guests.

Lodge

Lodge’s Blacklock line is significantly lighter than standard cast-iron cookware. The extended, raised handle also stays cooler for longer making this a much more enjoyable cast-iron experience.

The Good Hurt

Test his resilience heat with this hot sauce sampler. It ranges from milder sauces all the way up to the sauce made with the infamous ghost pepper. 

Grillight

Grill tools with built-in lights make a lot of sense considering grills are often in poorly lit areas outside in the backyard or in a deck corner. That’s especially true if Dad likes to cook outdoors well into the evening. I got my hands on this two-piece set of spatula and tongs. Both are sturdy and the light is plenty bright to illuminate your burgers, dogs, chicken and fish. No more guessing about when food is done.

MakiMaki

The MakiMaki sushi kit has everything Dad’ll need to make sushi at home. And I mean everything, including slabs of sushi-grade tuna, toro, hamachi, salmon and all the fixings. Making sushi turns out to be a whole lot of fun, satisfying and quite a bit easier than I thought it would be. This is a fun gift for the DIY foodie dad and one you can all enjoy together.

NomadiQ

In a real-world test of 15 small grills, this super-portable gas grill from Nomadiq ranked way up near the top and was my favorite truly portable grill. This smartly designed unit has the advantage of being half the weight of most other portable grills and it folds up inside itself to be not much larger or more cumbersome than a large handbag. The small gas grill worked well too, getting hot enough to sear all our burgers, steaks, chicken and dogs on a surprisingly large 226 square-inch grill surface. 

This makes a perfect gift if Dad already has a main grill but you suspect he’d like to do some grilling in places other than the backyard. My only beef is that it’s a little hard to clean but, honestly, cleaning a grill is rarely a pleasant experience. 

Manly Man Co.

These beef jerky bouquets are as strange and unsettling as they are delicious-looking. The “petals” are made with 100% beef and “stem sections” with a blend of beef, pork and spices. You can choose from a variety of flavorings, too.

Gozney

If Dad likes to lord over the grill to feed the herd, he’ll have just as much fun running a pizza party with this high-octane outdoor gas oven. The Gozney Roccbox gets hot — like 930 degrees Fahrenheit hot — to make crispy Neapolitan-style pizza in a few minutes. It runs on propane (easy!) but has a wood burner attachment in case you’ve got extra logs laying around and prefer that fuel source. 

Read my full review of the Gozney Roccbox here. Ooni’s Fyra pellet-powered pizza oven is another, and slightly more budget-friendly option. It retails for $350. 

Man Crates

I’ll level with you. You could probably buy all of the components in this Man Crates Rib Grilling Kit for less than $90 but it wouldn’t come in a nifty plywood crate that dad will have to open with a literal crowbar (included). There’s no other simple way to get into these dang boxes. Is it silly? Maybe. Is it fun? Yup.

The Man Crate has some key rib-roasting tools and ingredients including a reversible rib rack, wood-handled basting mop, smoke cans with three flavors, a Carolina sweet barbecue sauce and Cimarron Doc’s Gourmet & Bar-B-Q Seasoning. Plus, a cotton towel to clean up the inevitable mess after.

BBQ Dragon

While you’re checking on the state of his utensils, you might as well see what his lighting situation is. Most grills don’t come with illumination and the porch or backyard lighting can be spotty at best. This attachable light from BBQ Dragon has two flexible gooseneck lamps and a clamp to stick on and shine concentrated light just about anywhere he needs. No more guessing when the burgers are done.

Bonus: He can definitely use this light working under the hood of the car, under the sink or any other place dads are typically found tinkering around in the dark.

All-Clad

Having reliable hard-working skillets he can reach for day in and day out will make Dad a better cook. The big reason is, with pans that perform consistently it’s much better to see what you could be doing better, follow recipes accurately and hone your skills, even for simple techniques like pan-frying a grilled chicken breast or sautéing kale. Good pans, like All-Clad’s popular d5 series, will last a long time if you care for them properly. They won’t warp and will make cooking way more enjoyable.

Ember

This is the gift Dad would probably never buy for himself but will totally love and brag about every chance he gets. The Ember keeps any hot beverage at the exact temperature he likes it, from the first sip until the last. There’s an Ember travel mug too in case he’s back in the office.

Work Sharp

If dad is going to make sushi, he’ll need sharp knives. If the pricey Togu knife subscription service is pushing your budget limits, this Work Sharp knife sharpener is easy to use and sharpens like a champ. The E2 model is powerful and compact so it won’t crowd the counter or cupboard and you can sharpen a dull blade in under five minutes. It’s one of my go-to gadgets and makes a great gift for a dad who might be a little dull in the knife drawer. 

Beer Drop

One of the big differences between Beer Drop and other beer subscription services is this one lets Dad pick the beer styles. From there, Beer Drop sources interesting, smaller-batch brews from a selection of microbreweries around the country and sends them out monthly. Knowing how picky some beer drinkers can be about style, this is the best way to get new and interesting beers in Dad’s hands that he’ll almost definitely enjoy.

There are a few levels of subscription but you can gift Dad three months of beer drops — 10 beers in each — for $218 (includes shipping). He’ll get a free hop exploration box with samples of hops to really bring the brewing process to life.

Momofuku

David Chang’s Momofuku restaurant empire is big on flavor and you can add some of his signatures to Dad’s kitchen lineup with the pantry starter pack. It’s got spicy seasoned salts, soy sauce, tamari and the famous chili crunch.

BrüMate

When the sun starts beating down in June and July and we take the party outside, warm beer becomes an issue — especially for those tallboy cans. Save Dad from warmbeeritus with a BrüMate. These sophisticated koozies come in any size you’d need — regular, tall, skinny cans and even wine glasses — and start at an affordable $20. 

Thermopen

If he’s been making do with a second-rate meat thermometer (or — gasp — is one of those people who cuts in to see if it’s done), your dad is going to love the MK4 from Thermoworks as a Father’s Day gift. This accurate little tool comes in 10 colors, gives you a temp in 2 to 3 seconds and will take all the guesswork out of centerpiece roasts. 

Snake River Farms

Give Dad a reason to fire up the barbie with some special Wagyu beef from Snake River Farms. Snake River offers hand-cut American Wagyu top sirloins, tomahawks, strip steaks, filets, burgers. Much of the meat has been wet-aged for 21-plus days for improved flavor and texture and all of it has that rich Wagyu marbling that has made it famous the world over. For more meat delivery options for Dad at any budget, check out our list of the best meat delivery services.

Hella Bitters

This five-pack of artisanally made cocktail bitters — in flavors like ginger, smoked chili and orange — will surely inspire Dad to whip up some new cocktails. If he’s not feeling creative, all of them would be perfect in an Old Fashioned. I always have a bottle of Hella on my bar and I thank myself whenever cocktail time rolls around.

Bachan’s

A sauce that’s good enough to give on Father’s Day. Trust me on this one. Bachan’s Japanese barbecue is a vibrant blend of soy sauce, mirin and tomato paste with ginger, onion garlic and toasted sesame. Dynamite on everything from burgers to chicken, steak and more. If he digs teriyaki-style sauces, it’s great as a marinade or stir-fried with noodles and rice too.

It’ll cost you just $12 per bottle if you buy two bottles and only $10 if you buy a six-pack. If it ends up going as fast in your house as it does in mine, you’ll be glad you bought extra.

Goldbelly

If your dad loves a good pastrami on rye but can’t make it to New York this year, this package from third-generation New York Deli Kenny & Ziggy’s has everything he needs to make an epic pastrami sandwich. The kit feeds roughly four people and includes an entire pound of triple-smoked pastrami, eight slices of Jewish rye, pickles and a 12-ounce bottle of Kenny & Ziggy’s signature deli mustard.

person pouring wine bottle with the coravin wine preserver attached

Used by the best restaurants the world over, the Coravin will let Dad pop special bottles without worrying about the wine getting oxidized if he doesn’t finish the whole thing. 

If all else fails, a subscription to one of our favorite wine clubs is always a hit for an oenophile dad.

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