Air fryers have been a hot topic on vegan food blogs for good reason: They're really cool.

Think of an air fryer as a deep fryer that doesn't use cups upon cups of oil. Instead of boiling in oil, an air fryer uses hot, circulating air to cook food to crunchy perfection.

That's right: Crispy french fries at home.

The Instant Vortex Plus is easy to use and can help reduce cooking times so you get dinner to the table faster.

My Vegan Verdict: Honest Take, No Fluff

I own this air fryer and like it a lot. I use it to make homemade french fries that rival the best take-out joints, crispy tofu nuggets, and perfectly charred broccoli or cauliflower. It also reheats day-old pizza so well that it tastes like it just came out of a brick pizza oven. I use it so much that I never want to be without one.

Check out these crave-worthy vegan air fryer recipes to see all the foods you can make with an air fryer!

The Instant Pot is a smart electric pressure cooker designed to be safe and convenient. If you're like me, you live a busy life. A pressure cooker was designed for busy people!

This bad boy speeds up cooking by 2-6 times, all while using 70% less energy. The 7-in-1 works as a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, porridge maker, steamer, saute/browning, yogurt maker, and warmer.

Whew! Think of the cabinet space you'll save!

My Vegan Verdict: Honest Take, No Fluff

I have an Instant Pot. I love pressure cookers. A few years ago, I was gifted a "not Instapot." It broke after a year of rigorous use (4x per week minimum). I replaced it with an Instant Pot. The difference is night and day. It works like a dream, has many useful functions, and is a breeze to clean.

You might be thinking, a rice cooker, really? In 2024? In the age of pressure cookers and air fryers? A rice cooker??

Yes! A rice cooker is a perfect addition to a busy vegan's kitchen.

The Aroma Housewears Rice Cooker yields 6-cups of perfectly cooked rice, which is perfect for people like me who burn rice every single time I make it. A rice cooker is a great inexpensive solution.

And while I'm talking about rice, read up on how to reduce the arsenic levels in rice because less arsenic is a good thing.

The Tofuture Tofu Press will change your relationship with tofu forever. It's a bold claim, but I'm a bold vegan.

Pressing tofu is the difference between a tofu dish you'll hate and one you'll love and want to make again and again.

Five Reasons to Get Your Vegan Friend a Tofu Press

1. Perfect Texture: Pressing tofu removes excess water, giving it a firmer, meatier texture for stir-fries, grilling, or baking.
2. Better Flavor Absorption: Less water means tofu can soak up marinades and seasonings more effectively, making every bite tastier.
3. Saves Time: A tofu press gets the job done faster and more efficiently than stacking random kitchen items to press it.
4. Consistent Results: You'll get uniformly pressed tofu every time, avoiding mushy or uneven bits.
5. Less Mess: A tofu press eliminates the need for paper towels and plates, keeping your kitchen counter dry and making cleaning easy.

My Vegan Verdict: Honest Take, No Fluff

You can make tofu without pressing it, and that's true. But will it have the same texture and flavor as pressed tofu? Maybe not. I eat tofu every day. Sometimes, I press it, and sometimes, I don't, but I'm happy to have a tofu press whenever I do.

As an aside, are you familiar with the amazing versatility of delicious tofu? Yes? Excellent! No? Let me help you out with that. Check out this vegan tofu guide. It has everything you need to know about buying, preparing, and cooking tasty tofu.

Back to gift-giving! This tofu press would be an excellent gift for vegan tofu lovers.

Let's be honest: Everyone loves donuts. And since we're being honest, I'm only including Wilton Donut Pans in this gift guide because I want them myself.

There are exactly zero vegan bakeries, donut shops, restaurants, or anything else that makes vegan donuts where I live. If I want donuts, I have two choices: I can drive an hour away to get some, or I can make them myself.

Do you know a vegan in a similar situation? I'm sorry, it's hard, I get it. These donut pans are the solution.

And the bonus? You'll get to eat the donuts from the friend you gifted these pans to—double win.

Let's talk stand mixers, specifically this KitchenAid Stand Mixer. They're incredibly helpful in the kitchen.

A stand mixer is versatile for vegan cooking and offers precision for various tasks. It easily mixes dough for breads and pizza crusts, essential to many plant-based meals. The mixer handles large batches of vegan desserts like cookies or cakes, saving time. With attachments, it can spiralize vegetables or make pasta, expanding culinary possibilities.

Any vegan who cooks or bakes could use one of these, and Kitchen Aid is the gold standard for stand mixers. The 5-quart stainless steel bowl offers enough capacity to mix dough for eight dozen cookies or four loaves of bread.

Eight! Dozen! Cookies!

Cookies like these sugar cut-out cookies with royal icing, yum.

Get fresh with the Orblue Garlic Press.

Fresh garlic is a fantastic addition to recipes, but all the peeling and chopping can seem bothersome to people, especially when there is little time to get dinner to the table. Also, chopping fresh garlic by hand often produces uneven sizes that can cook unevenly.

The solution is a garlic press, and this one is great.

Some peelers have an aluminum finish that can wear off after use, but not this model. Made from stainless steel, this kitchen tool will last.

My Vegan Verdict: Honest Take, No Fluff

I bought this garlic press a few years ago. I have appreciated its ease of cleaning, performance, and build quality. Removing the skin from garlic cloves is simple, saving me time and providing a hassle-free experience. Plus it's easy to clean. I use mine all the time.

Friends don't let friends use powdered garlic. Get them this peeler set instead.

Are you looking for a gift that combines practicality with timeless style?

Look no further than this 6-quart Lodge Cast Iron Dutch Oven. It's the ultimate kitchen multitasker.

One of the key features of this dutch oven is its porcelain surface. This innovative design eliminates the need to season cast iron, saving time and effort. The cast iron vessel has superior heat distribution and retention, evenly heating the bottom, sidewalls, and lid. Speaking of the lid, the tightly fitting lid seals in moisture and flavor.

Five Reasons to Give Cast Iron as a Gift

1. Versatile Cooking: A Lodge cast iron dutch oven is perfect for soups, stews, and chili, all vegan staples.
2. Superior Heat Retention: It maintains even heat, making it ideal for simmering plant-based dishes for hours.
3. Durability: Built to last a lifetime, it’s a gift that keeps on giving for serious home chefs.
4. No Teflon: It's chemical-free, making it a healthier and eco-friendly cooking option.
5. Oven-to-Table Style: Its rustic look means it can go straight from the stove to the table, adding charm to vegan dinner parties.

My Vegan Verdict: Honest Take, No Fluff

Like many items on this list, I have a personal connection to the Lodge cast iron dutch oven. I bought it during the pandemic, a time when everyone seemed to be baking bread. The joy of pulling out a loaf of bread you made yourself is indeed true, and I highly recommend trying it. This dutch oven was my baking companion throughout 2020, and I can attest to its greatness.

I didn't stop at baking, though. This dutch oven has made stews, soups, and broths. It's roasted vegetables, boiled potatoes, and cooked a terrifically tender seitan roast.

Whether your vegan loved one is a seasoned cook or loves trying new recipes, this gift will become their new go-to.

Give your vegan friend the gift of time and convenience.

This Hamilton Beach Food Processor streamlines meal prep like nothing else. It can quickly chop, slice, and shred vegetables, making it easy to whip up large salads, veggie burgers, or hearty vegetable casseroles. The food processor offers smooth, consistent results for vegans making their own hummus, dips, or sauces. It also helps make nut butter, energy balls, or even homemade seitan.

One design flaw of a traditional food processor is that you have to stop processing to scrape down the sides of the bowl. This 10-cup model features a handy built-in scraper. It's also BPA-free and dishwasher-safe.

With a food processor, your vegan friend can enjoy fresh, whole foods with minimal hassle, making this gift a perfect addition to their plant-based cooking routine.

These Ceramic Cat Measuring Cups / Baking Bowls are not just adorable, they're also versatile. I love them for their cuteness and the fact that they can be used for both baking and measuring.

We all have that one friend or family member who is absolutely cat-obsessed; I'm that person in my circles. You know who I'm talking about: the person or couple who rescued a cat that one time and now have a small army of feline friends, those people. Those are the kind of people who need these ceramic cat measuring cups.

Just look at the cuteness! That nose! Those whiskers! The tail handle!

Just imagine the sheer delight on the face of a cat-loving person you know when they unwrap these. Or, why not treat yourself to this delightful surprise? There's no judgment here, only excitement.