Best Father's Day Food Gifts for Hungry Dads

In his seminal memoir Kitchen Confidential, the late writer, chef and bon vivant Anthony Bourdain speaks highly of the Global G-2 8-inch chef's knife. We've tested it at CNET and definitely see why, with its great balance and resilient and sharp edge. You can set Dad up with this badass blade and watch his slicing and dicing skills flourish.

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.

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.

Viski has some of the best retro-inspired barware on the web. These lowball tumblers are perfect for a rum, tequila or bourbon on the rocks, and they're plenty big enough to hold Dad's favorite cocktails, too.

Call it cliche but the dads I know don't love having to get up for the next frosty one -- no one does, for that matter. Save Dad from having to bark for his beer with the objectively awesome Parkit Voyager chair. 

It's sturdy. It's comfortable. It has backpack straps for easy transportation. And, most importantly, it has a damn cooler hanging right under the seat for easy access.

Last Crumb's gooey cookies aren't easy to come by, thanks to a cultlike customer base for the LA-based bakery, and a limited release of each batch. But I can vouch for the decadent cookies, and I promise they're worth having to check the website every few days for the latest drop. If they're in stock, you'd be wise to scoop up a batch quickly for Dad (or yourself). 

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. Blue Apron is one of our favorite meal kits of them all (yes, I've tested them all), with premium meals such as steak and seafood, without the premium price. So score him a gift certificate so he can try a few excellent and easy meals to make at home. 

These booze-infused chocolates are made by a local Austin chocolatier. For $29 Dad'll get three Scotch chocolate truffles, three bourbon chocolate truffles and three rum chocolate truffles.

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 $41 a month for 12 months. 

IceMule's are the easiest way to lug cold food and drinks on the run. They're built tough and have excellent insulation for beach days, hikes and park hangs.

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.

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 2023 to see all your options.

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.

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 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)

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'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.

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. 

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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 $174 (includes shipping). He'll get a free hop exploration box with samples of hops to really bring the brewing process to life.

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. 

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.

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. 

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.