Gifts for cooks for Valentine’s Day

(CNN) —  

For some couples, their love language is food, and that often extends to cooking up delicious meals and treats in the kitchen. To celebrate Valentine’s Day, whether you’re buying for a couple or you’re part of a gourmet romantic pairing, we spoke with Boston Harbor Hotel executive chef and Boston Wine Festival founder Daniel Bruce about his picks — and a few of our own — for a fabulous foodie gift.

Looking for more V-Day inspiration? Check out our favorite heartfelt gifts, gifts for him, gifts for her, gifts for kids, gifts for pets, jewelry gifts, Nordstrom gifts, practical gifts and gifts under $50.

Anything red or heart-shaped is sure to make them light up, says Bruce. “Everything from oven mitts and trivets to nesting bowls to cake tins to cute little measuring spoons that are heart-shaped,” he says. This heart-shaped Dutch oven (that’s now 50% off) is equal parts useful and adorable.

If going the heart-shaped route seems a bit cheesy to you, why not a red or pink multipurpose nonstick pan? From one of our favorite kitchen brands, Our Place, the Always Pan has risen to notoriety with its ability to replace a whopping eight kitchen gadgets, and it can even come with its own spruce steamer for dumplings. Check out our review of the pan here. Spoiler alert: We loved it.

We all know how annoying it can be to keep stirring and stirring and stirring your favorite recipes. Take the work out of it with this automatic pan stirrer that reviewers are obsessed with.

Bring your standard surf and turf V-Day dinner up a notch (and to your home) with this Porter Road bundle, which comes with two dry-aged filet mignons and two lobster tails, along with a lemon and even garlic marinade. It’s currently available for preorder and is guaranteed to be delivered by February 13. We tried Porter Road a while back and loved it.

What better to go with your Valentine’s Day dinner than some cheese that you made together? This cheesemaking kit makes 10 batches of Italian cheeses, including mozzarella and ricotta. Truly the gift that keeps on giving.

Always rushing to the store to pick up some last-minute spices? With these plants, you can grow your own cilantro, arugula and oregano at home. Check out the rest of Bloomscape’s edible plants and herbs here.

If you’re a hot sauce lover, there’s a good chance you’ve been introduced to the genius that is Mike’s Hot Honey. Absolutely delicious on anything from eggs to pizza to pasta, we can’t get enough of the stuff, and this gift basket comes with a bottle along with crackers, soppressata sausage and some deeply delicious Mike’s Hot-flavored candied pecans. Perfect appetizers, if you will.

“As a chef, I like using wooden spoons more than anything,” says Bruce. “They’re great for any kind of Teflon or nonsticks, and they don’t scratch anything.” Given that it’s Valentine’s Day, of course a heart-shaped wooden spoon only makes sense.

A personalized cutting board is something they’ll always appreciate as they’re absolutely crushing dinner prep.

There’s a good chance that if you’re a foodie, you love coffee too. Specializing in Vietnamese coffee and the most delicious and traditional way to make it, this kit from Nguyen Coffee Supply comes with a bag of the good stuff and its own filter. Plus, with the code CNNVIP10, you can get 10% off and free shipping over $50. You’re very welcome.

This cheery trivet that protects your counters and tables from hot pots and pans says it all.

“You know what’s nice to have near the kitchen is a nice little wine cooler that you can keep the reds and whites at the right temperature,” says Bruce. This top-rated model is not only one of the most affordable on the market, but it’s also small enough to fit into tinier kitchens.

Bake up a set of soufflés or lovely stews using these matching heart-shaped cocottes in a more modern black and white. Bonus: They’re 65% off right now.

Though Truff is mostly known for its decadent truffle-infused hot sauce, it recently launched its own pasta sauces, which we tried and can say are absolutely to die for.

Have a recipe that means a lot to the two of you? You can remember it forever by getting it scrawled in your handwriting (or theirs) onto this gorgeous plate. It even comes with a stand so you can make it part of your kitchen decor.

Part science experiment, part truly useful activity, you can literally grow your own mushrooms with this kit. Just imagine the recipe possibilities.

For the couple all about wining and dining, try these ultra-chic stemless wine glasses that come with rose gold, gold or silver accents.

Wine lovers know the best way to enjoy reds is to decant them — plus, it’s an easy way to elevate an under-$20 bottle (no judgment here). This stunning decanter from Lenox will let your wine breathe in style.