GiftListHuddle

Gift ideas · Hobbies

Gifts for Cooks

Cookbooks for weeknights, batch cooking and a Christmas feast

  • 8 ideas
  • £6.99 to £28
  • Updated

Prices and stock checked 13 October 2026 and may change · How we make these guides

See the 8 ideas

Cookbooks are one of the safest gifts for people who cook, because they are useful, affordable and personal. The difficulty is choosing the right type: a restaurant-style book suits adventurous cooks, a batch-cooking guide suits busy families, and a student cookbook suits anyone leaving home.

Every book here is a Waterstones listing checked on 13 October 2026. They range from Poppy Cooks and The Riverford Cookbook for weeknights to Rick Stein's Christmas for the holiday table, and from the ZOE gut-health recipes to a Hamlyn slow-cooker book at under £7. Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential is for readers rather than cooks. Prices can change.

  1. Poppy Cooks: The Actually Delicious Batch Cookbook

    Poppy Cooks: The Actually Delicious Batch Cookbook, a hardback aimed at batch cooking.

    £22.00 View at Waterstones

  2. The Riverford Cookbook: Easy Evenings

    The Riverford Cookbook: Easy Evenings, simple family meals in 40 minutes or less.

    £26.00 View at Waterstones

  3. The Food For Life Cookbook

    The Food For Life Cookbook, 100 recipes created with ZOE, for cooks who care about gut health.

    £28.00 View at Waterstones

  4. From GiftListHuddle

    Sponsored

    Keep your own wish list

    Make a list for any occasion, share a link, and let friends claim or split gifts without spoiling the surprise.

    Start a list

  5. The 30g Plan Cookbook

    The 30g Plan Cookbook, easy recipes aimed at protein, fibre and plant goals.

    £16.99 View at Waterstones

  6. NOSH for Students

    NOSH for Students, a fun student cookbook with a photo with every recipe.

    £14.99 View at Waterstones

  7. Hamlyn All Colour Cookery: 200 Slow Cooker Recipes

    Hamlyn All Colour Cookery: 200 Slow Cooker Recipes, a low-priced paperback for slow-cooker owners.

    £6.99 View at Waterstones

  8. From GiftListHuddle

    Sponsored

    Keep your own wish list

    Make a list for any occasion, share a link, and let friends claim or split gifts without spoiling the surprise.

    Start a list

  9. Rick Stein's Christmas

    Rick Stein's Christmas, a 320-page hardback of recipes, memories and stories for the festive season.

    £28.00 View at Waterstones

  10. Kitchen Confidential

    Kitchen Confidential, Anthony Bourdain's memoir of kitchen life, a paperback for readers who love food writing.

    £12.99 View at Waterstones

Questions people ask

What is a good cookbook gift for a busy person?

Poppy Cooks and The Riverford Cookbook focus on batch cooking and quick evening meals. The Hamlyn slow cooker book is a cheaper option for the same need.

What is a good cookbook for a student?

NOSH for Students is made for students and has a photo with every recipe. The Hamlyn slow-cooker book is also useful for anyone with limited kitchen kit.

Is Kitchen Confidential a cookbook?

No. It is a memoir about working in restaurant kitchens. It makes a good gift for someone who loves food writing, rather than for someone who wants recipes.

Planning to give a few of these?

Put them on a GiftListHuddle list and share a link. Friends and family can claim or split gifts without spoiling the surprise.

Start a list