Looking for the perfect gift for the Top Chef superfan in your life? Previously I've written about the best gifts for Food Network fans, but have no fear — I've got plenty of gift ideas for fans of Bravo's Top Chef, too!
From Top Chef knife blocks to knife sets to knife rolls to steak knives (seriously, there are a lot of knives on this list) to official Top Chef aprons and the kitchen gear the "cheftestants" use in the Top Chef kitchen, I've dug deep to find all the best Top Chef merchandise the Internet has to offer.
Now, of course you can find lots of great Top Chef merchandise at the official Bravo store, but there's so much more officially licensed Top Chef gear (and not officially licensed gear) out there too. And it's weirdly hard to find. So if you're on the hunt for the perfect gift for the Top Chef fan in your life... start here!
Ready for the best Top Chef gifts? Start scrolling!
1. A Top Chef knife kit with nylon carrying case
Anyone who's watched Bravo's Top Chef has, at one point, coveted the knife cases each chef brings with them to the Top Chef kitchen. These two kits come with knives, honing steels, and carrying cases, just like the ones you see on the show.
On a personal note, I actually have the 5-piece Top Chef knife kit (the one with the black and silver handles) and the knives are genuinely so good! They hold their edges nicely and feel great to hold.
2. A Hedley & Bennet x Top Chef apron
Starting in season 17, all of the Top Chef contestants could be seen wearing these iconic charcoal-grey aprons in the kitchen. These aprons, with their signature orange neck strap and towel loop were part of a collaboration with popular apron brand Hedley & Bennett, who also designed the yellow and white aprons for Top Chef Amateurs in 2021. Both make great gifts! Shop Hedley & Bennett x Top Chef here!
3. A wooden cheeseboard with the classic phrase: "Pack your knives and go."
Whoever eats the last bite off this cheeseboard that reveals Top Chef's iconic elimination phrase has to pack their knives and leave the party immediately. What? I don't make the rules. Buy it on Etsy here!
4. A Top Chef 6.5" Cleaver with a chic black and silver detailed handle
This hefty Top Chef full tang stainless steel 6.5" cleaver with black and silver detailed handle is the perfect gift for the Top Chef fan who already has all the other knives on this list. Buy it here!
Which brings me to...
5. A Top Chef 15 Piece Knife Block Set with a light wood knife block
There are a lot of knives in this knife block! Six steak knives, a boning knife, two santoku knives, a bread knife, a chef's knife, a bread knife, a knife sharpener, honing steel, and pair of kitchen shears — all tucked away inside a wooden knife block. This is the same full tang, stainless steel, dishwasher safe design you'll find elsewhere on this list. A great gift for a Top Chef fan who's just moved into their very first apartment. Buy it from Wayfair here!
6. A sweatshirt emblazoned with Padma's other catchphrase
You never quite know what Padma means when she asks "Were you happy with your dish?" but your friend will definitely know what you mean when you give them the gift of a cozy sweatshirt emblazoned with this classic Top Chef quote. Buy a sweatshirt here! (Sizes S-5X)
7. A gift card to a restaurant by a former Top Chef contestant
There are lots to choose from! And if none of these are located near your gift recipient, do some googling.
- Scopa Italian Roots - Chef Antonia Lofasa, seasons 4 and 8 (Venice, CA) - Also offers meal kits with nationwide shipping!
- Girl & The Goat - Chef Stephanie Izard, season 4 (Chicago, IL and Los Angeles, CA)
- Thatcher & Rye - Chef Michael Voltaggio, season 6 (Frederick, MD)
- Sweet Cheeks Q - Chef Tiffani Faison, seasons 1 and 8 (Boston, MA)
- 610 Magnolia - Chef Edward Lee, season 9 (Loisville, KY)
8. A big, reversible Boos Block cutting board
Most restaurant chefs don't actually use wooden cutting boards so you wont often see them on Top Chef — it's a food safety thing. But nothing makes a home chef feel legit like a big wooden Boos Block cutting board. Wood is gentler on knives and allows them to keep their sharp edges longer. I like this one because it's easier to lift and flip. Buy a Boos Block here!
9. A Top Chef carving set with black and silver handles
Until you've carved a roast turkey or chicken with a real carving set, you have no idea what you're missing out on. This full-tang, stainless steel, dishwasher safe carving knife and fork will be a welcome addition to any carnivore's kitchen. Shop on Wayfair here!
10. The shirt Chef Ed Cotton wore to the Top Chef Season 7 reunion show addressing the infamous "peagate" incident
This is a bit of a deep cut reference from an otherwise boring season, but IYKYK. Buy it on Zazzle here! (Sizes S-6X)
11. A fishing knife set designed by Tom Coliccho in collaboration with Made In
Trying to fillet fish can be intimidating! This fishing knife and fish fillet knife set was designed by Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio in collaboration with DTC cookware brand Made In and makes a great gift for anyone who really loves fishing for, and then cooking fish. Both knives are made in the USA and have blades of high carbon stainless steel with non-slip gripper handles. Buy the set on Made In here!
12. A personalized top chef apron with their name on it
This Top Chef apron looks just like a white chef coat, and can be personalized with your gift recipient's name! As far as Top Chef gifts go, this one is an obvious choice. The apron is 100% polyester with detachable black twill straps, and is printed using eco-friendly ink. Buy it on Etsy here!
13. A 9-piece Top Chef knife block set
I told you there were a lot of knives on this list! If the 15-piece knife block was too big and the knife kit carrying cases were too small, these two 9-piece knife blocks are truly the Goldilocks of Top Chef kitchen cutlery gift sets. The knives included vary slightly between the two sets, but both include a pair of kitchen shears, a wooden knife block, a steel honing rod, and knives made from German carbon steel.
14. A book by one of their favorite Top Chef contestants
There are a ton out there but these are some that are highly reviewed:
- Kristen Kish Cooking: Recipes and Techniques: A Cookbook by Chef Kristen Kish
- Carla Hall's Soul Food: Everyday Food and Celebration by Chef Carla Hall
- Asian-American: Proudly Inauthentic Recipes from the Philippines to Brooklyn by Chef Dale Talde
- Think Like a Chef by Tom Colicchio
- Top Chef: The Quickfire Cookbook
- How to Cook Like a Top Chef
- Gather & Graze: 120 Favorite Recipes for Tasty Good Times by Chef Stephanie Izard
- Harold Dieterle's Kitchen Notebook: Hundreds of Recipes, Tips, and Techniques for Cooking Like a Chef at Home by Harold Dieterle
- Dumplings All Day Wong: A Cookbook of Asian Delights From a Top Chef by Lee Anne Wong
15. A Top Chef 7-piece BBQ set with carrying case
If the Top Chef fan in your life prefers cooking in the great outdoors, they'll love this 7-piece Top Chef BBQ set. The tools are stainless steel and bear the Top Chef logo, and the kit even includes a Top Chef oven mitt, apron, and carrying case. Everything they need to grill like a pro. Buy it from Macy's here!
16. Something from Padma Lakshmi's Etsy edit of favorite mealtime must-haves
From serving dishes to table linens, gardening supplies, and cozy dining decor, all of these "mealtime must-haves" are absolutely Padma-approved! Here's some highlights:
- These Turkish trays
- This set of 6 hot sauces
- A hand-thrown spoon rest
- This two-tone serving tray
- These recycled hand blown Moroccan glasses
17. Set of 4 Top Chef Steak Knives with elegantly curved, dark wood handles
This is the last set of knives on this list I swear. These ultra sharp steak knives are made from German carbon steel with a full bolster for perfect balance. The elegant curved dark wood handles of these steak knives match the knives from the 6-piece knife kit with carrying case at the top of this list. Shop Top Chef steak knives at Macy's here!
18. A Hulu gift card so they can watch all their favorite Top Chef seasons over and over and over again
This one's a no brainer! And they'll get so many other shows to watch too!
19. A pack of kitchen towels like the ones in professional kitchens
I've written before about the absolute joy and convenience of having a stash of completely utilitarian kitchen towels you don't care about before, but honestly — I would have loved getting a stack of these as a gift! Throw one over a shoulder, or tuck it into the towel loop on a Hedley & Bennett x Top Chef apron just like the pros do. Buy them here!
For more of my product roundups, reviews, and gift guides click here. For a master list of my favorite kitchen tools click here.
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