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I am a cheese-based organism. I’m the person at the restaurant who, when the nice server is grating cheese over my pasta and tells me, “Say when,” there’s a prolonged awkward silence because I never actually say “when.”
While roughly 90 percent of my diet consists of cheese in some form (I’ve never met a cheese I didn’t like), I acknowledge the fact that sometimes when you’re eating cheese, you want something to go with it. To help you find the right gift for the cheese-obsessed people in your life, I’ve compiled a list of accoutrements that enhance everything from cheddar to Piave to Brie, as well as a multitude of ways to serve, store, display, and worship cheese and a few links to some super giftable actual cheese. I also included some essential cheese books and accessories. If you’re looking for more food gifts, we have suggestions for spice lovers, gourmands, and cocktail enthusiasts, and you can find even more gift ideas for everyone on your list at our gift-guide hub.
Update on December 9, 2024: Updated prices and checked stock for all products.
Cheese boards and platters
Made from repurposed bamboo chopsticks, this unique board has a cool backstory and gives you the flexibility to cut, prep, and serve cheese and fruit.
I own a version of this lazy Susan (made from a recycled barrel head), and it has transformed my cheese-serving game. Since it rotates, you never have any cheese out of reach. This version is more involved than the one I own but comes with everything you need to build piles and little bowls of accoutrements.
This Italian-made olivewood cheese board is minimally finished, naturally showing off whatever you display on it.
Cheese storage
“I love these Formaticum cheese papers,” says food and entertaining expert Chadwick Boyd. “I use them in my kitchen and give them as gifts to cheese lovers or to hosts I don’t know. They are high quality, inexpensive, cute, and unique enough. Most people don’t know about them, so there’s an element of surprise when they receive them, and they become converts thereafter.”
“Real cheese lovers know it’s crucial to keep your cheese happy in your fridge,” says Julia Birnbaum, founder of Philly Cheese School. “For me, the easiest way to do this is with these cheese bags, which allow your cheese to breathe without too much drying, extending its life and deliciousness.”
The Cheese Grotto Piatto is perfect for small kitchens or temporary stays in Airbnbs. Unlike the other Cheese Grotto models, which are not collapsible, this one is assembled by a system of magnets, so it folds flat for easy storage. It includes the brand’s signature clay-brick humidifier, which provides the optimum humidity for storing cheese.
“Anyone serious about cheese understands that temperature is a huge factor, and a proper dome is imperative for that,” says chef Randy Rucker of Philadelphia’s River Twice. “It also helps control the aroma and prevent funk from lingering through the room. I dig this particular style because it’s elegant and timeless. The materials are glass and ash wood, which make it easy to clean, and the size is perfect for two to four blocks depending on the hunk of cheese.”
“As someone who keeps at least three types of cheese in my house at all times (blame it on my French husband), I didn’t know I needed a Cheese Grotto until someone gifted me one. Your cheese lasts longer because of the added humidity and it’s also a great device to bring cheese to serving temperature when you’re having guests over,” says Strategist contributor Bernadette Machard de Gramont. About ten other people on this list recommended the Cheese Grotto Classico, which I also own and adore. I buy a lot more cheese since I got it because it helps prolong their shelf life.
Cheese knives and tools
“I like to give this knife to cheese lovers,” says Boyd. “It’s elegant yet inexpensive. And it stands apart from the typical cheese knife sets found at traditional retailers, which I find clunky. The open-hole knife prevents cheese from sticking, and it does a mighty fine job preparing cheese for a pre-dinner party board.”
“One of my best friends in the world is cheese obsessed, and for every winter holiday, I send her a ‘Cheesemas’ gift,” says Strategist contributor Margaret Eby. “Last year I sent along a pound of raclette from Murray’s Cheese and a raclette melter to serve it with, and it was such a hit that she threw a whole raclette party. Fancy-cheese people deserve fancy-cheese accessories.”
Sometimes you need cheese shaved over everything, whether it’s pasta, pizza, salad, fruit, or popcorn. For that, you need a microplane. Our pick for the best higher-end microplane has a fancier walnut-wood handle and would make an excellent gift.
“While it’s meant for tëte de moine cheese, utilizing the wheel can also be much more versatile and create festive decorations out of many different semi-hard cheeses,” says Nicholas Bazik, chef and owner of Provenance in Philadelphia. “You could certainly utilize it for other cheeses, including cheddar, Gouda, Comte, and Idiazabal.”
Not every knife is suitable for soft or crumbly cheeses. “A committed cheese lover probably already has their favorite knife, but a good wire is also essential to a full kit of cheese tools,” says Birnbaum. “As the best way to make clean, smooth cuts of delicate and soft cheeses, this user-friendly Boska Bow wire gets a ton of use in my kitchen.”
Someone please give this set to me for Christmas to go with my wine barrel-head lazy Susan. The handles are made from reclaimed wine-barrel staves and the blades are stainless steel.
“As a splurge for friends who have everything and also have distinct taste, I give this cheese knife as a wedding or special-occasion gift. It performs the same clean cuts with cheese, yet doubles as a badass tomato knife,” says Boyd.
“This is an impressive knife for any cheese lover to have in their collection,” says Isaac Bignell, owner and operator of Say Cheese Fromagerie in Calgary. “Not only is it eye candy that can slice and dice, but the single-faceted side provides ease of use for cutting medium-soft to hard cheeses. Every slice slides right off so it’s a dream to use.”
[Editor’s note: Objects of Use lists all prices in pounds sterling, so the price shown is an approximation in U.S. dollars.]
Looking for a raclette grill that is higher end and powered by electricity rather than tea lights? “Every year for Christmas my wife and I host a raclette dinner with friends, and this tabletop electric raclette grill is a must-have. Our guests love it and it’s always a conversation starter,” says Dan Jacobs, chef and owner of EsterEv in Milwaukee.
Cheese accompaniments
I normally think of biscotti as the croutons of the dessert world, but these are different. They’re richer, denser, and moister than most biscotti. And they go brilliantly with cheese. Haus of Biscotti even sells little packs it calls “beautifully broken” biscotti, perfect for stocking stuffers and cheese boards. I love them with a nutty aged Alpine cheese or luscious Gouda.
“I picked these up at Di Bruno’s last year during the holidays, and I don’t think I’ll ever host another Christmas dinner without them,” says cookbook author Adam Erace. “Profound date flavor, great tender and sticky texture, and very easy to pit. Stuff with Gorgonzola and press back into a perfect little torpedo shape.”
These cheesy shortbread mini biscuits are crisp and wonderful on their own but even better paired with, you guessed it, more cheese. I love spreading a soft triple-crème Brie on them.
This herby Greek honey is my current favorite for drizzling on funky blue cheeses or placing in a little dish with walnuts on a cheese board.
“I definitely recommend these marmalades and jams for the cheese lover,” says Dustin Selvaggio, a chef, food scientist, and fermentation expert. “They are phenomenal. Beautifully packaged and made from the biodynamic farm’s overages.”
I skip the crackers and eat my firmer, sharper cheeses with a handful of these delicious, lightly candied pecans, usually before they make it to the cheese board I’m assembling. The starter pack comes with a selection of pecans grown on the company’s family farm, including half a pound of raw, organic pecans and candied versions in Churro, Banana Bread, Brown Butter Rum, and Sweet & Salty flavors.
Oona’s dainty little cans make a little cheese board for one or two people feel extra special. You can select eight of its Barbera Rosé (my favorite), Pinot Gris, or a combination.
Can your cheese-lover friend not resist cheese to the point of indigestion? Allow me to introduce Brioschi, whose pedigree is as notable as many Italian DOP cheeses.
Cheese books, merch, and miscellany
This cotton bandana is a collaboration between illustrator Aly Miller and Tenaya Darlington, a.k.a. Madame Fromage, and features line drawings of Taleggio, Stilton, Comté, Camembert, and the best fixings to pair with them. Give it as inspiration to the friend who loves assembling cheese boards.
This book is pocket-size and would make a good stocking stuffer. It’s perfect for the cheese lover who is just beginning to differentiate between different style of cheese, learning about nuances in tasting and how to pair cheeses.
“Top off your next cheese-centric tableau by lighting a cheese-shaped candle from the tableware geniuses at Artifaqt,” says writer Alex Jones (author of the cheese book mentioned above). My personal favorite is the beeswax candle molded from a piece of Birchrun Blue cheese.
“As a return gift for the raclette grill, my friend sent along a truly excellent vintage poster describing the various offerings of a cheesemonger. It hangs in my kitchen now. This poster, a breakdown of all the kinds of American cheese, has similar vibes,” says Eby.
“I’m obsessed with Altar Ware, maker of incredibly great, not overly twee clay food jewelry,” says Eby. “I already have the heirloom tomato earrings, which get me so many compliments, and have had my eye on the shrimp-cocktail studs forever, but I’ve preordered the caprese hoops as my friend’s Cheesemas gift this year.”
[Editor’s note: These earrings are only available for pre-order in both gold and silver, and they take four weeks to make, so they won’t arrive by Christmas. But they’re a good gift for a cheese-lover any time of the year, so we’re leaving them in this gift guide.]
Mike Geno is a fine artist who paints realistic portraits of food, but he is perhaps best known for painting wedges of cheese. You can splurge on an original painting or grab a few of his prints for gifts, but if you’re shopping for me, this print of a wedge of rare goat Gouda speaks to me.
“This stunning cheese scarf is an essential part of any cheese lover’s wardrobe. Philly artist and owner of Bluegreen Accessories hand-painted these cheese designs before transferring them on to silk to create this statement piece,” says Birnbaum. She isn’t the only fan. “This is the must-have accessory among stylish cheese pros everywhere,” says Jones.
“And this — or its sadly unavailable princess-style cheese gown — is the must-have garment,” says Jones.
“The best place to eat cheese is outside, but quality control matters, so this insulated picnic basket is a great choice,” says Tyler Fenton, chef at BATA in Tucson.
Cheeses for gifting
This assortment has something for every kind of cheese lover, whether they adore chèvre or one of my favorite cheeses of all time, the Gouda-style Seven Sisters. It also includes an aged cheddar, an American Havarti, and caramel pear jam.
This is my favorite cheese to give as a gift if I’m only giving one cheese because the colorful flowers on the rind always elicit oohs and ahhs. It’s naturally gift wrapped. “It’s rolled in flowers and herbs because the cheesemakers wanted to demonstrate that this is what the cows are eating in the pasture,” says Darlington. “I serve this on a cheeseboard with the kind of foods you’d imagine snacking on in the Alps — cured meats, cornichons, whole-grain mustard, and rustic bread. Pair it with a bottle of whiskey as a gift so they can make an old-fashioned. It’s a fun cheese to give at New Year’s with a bottle of bubbly because the flowers look like confetti.”
Everything you need for a varied and elaborate cheese and charcuterie board is in this box, sold by Di Bruno Bros. (my go-to cheesemongers for the last decade). While Di Bruno’s might have a reputation for selling incredible cheeses, the shop is also known in Philadelphia for legendary roasted nuts, which are included in this box.
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