Best Father’s Day gifts 2022: From Lego, Le Creuset, Ooni and more

Best: For photography lovers

Rating: 9.5/10

In our ever-expanding digital world, photography has become something that usually stays firmly on our phones and printing pictures is only done for the odd frame. If your dad loves photography, and is always taking pictures but never getting round to printing the best ones off, an instant camera is for him.

This one blends the best of both worlds and has taken instant cameras up a notch with a digital display which is super easy to use – all dad needs to do is point and click. It’s also easy for kids to use too. The aesthetics set this camera apart from other instax versions, as from the front it looks like a classic analogue range-finder camera with a leather-look covering and silver edging. Our favourite feature is the lever to print, which you pull back once you’ve selected the picture you want printed, in the same way you’d pull it back on an old camera to take your next shot.

There’s an impressive 100 effects to choose from, which you can find by either using the wheel on the back of the camera, or by twisting the lense. Our favourites include vignette, which gives slight shadows in the corners, and colour bleed where tones of red and yellow seep into the edges for a real vintage look.

The print and screen are both high quality and colours print as you see them. The tech doesn’t stop there though, there’s an app to download so you can transfer your snaps across to your phone if you want to post them on social media too. The camera holds around 45 pictures without a memory card, and one can be bought separately.

It’s a perfect fun holiday camera that everyone can enjoy using. Then either stick the photos in a book for dad, or add them to magnets like these from shot2go sticky magnets from Boots (£5, Boots.com) that we love and pop them on the front of the fridge.

Best: For the fashionista

Rating: 9/10

For the fashionista dad, he’ll no doubt love a T-shirt from cult skate brand, Palace. But be quick, as runs are short and things sell out quicker than you can learn to ollie. Palace started out making skateboard decks, and has since ventured into the merch side. With its cool designs, it quickly grew a huge online following that also translated into real life, with die-hard fans queuing outside shops and stock quickly going on resale sites with pretty hefty price tags.

The brand’s happy go lucky attitude is evident on the site, through its rather nondescript, er descriptions, so don’t expect there to be much information bar sizing. Most recently the brand has collaborated with Calvin Klein and Adidas and is absolutely a brand that the Nineties reminiscent dad will fall in love with, if he hasn’t already.

This waffle T-shirt is a great beginners piece, as the brand is best known for out there designs in bold colours and pretty wild patterns. It was available in more colours, including a powder blue that we loved, but it’s since sold out. It’s a nice thickness and weight, made with good quality cotton and it’s roomy too, so consider sizing down if you don’t like the oversized look. It’s a cool take on a classic white tee.

Best: For the car enthusiast

Rating: 9/10

Standing the test of time, Lego is one of our all time favourite gifts here at IndyBest, whether it’s for kids or Lego sets for adults we’ve tested a lot in our time, from Star Wars to Harry Potter themed sets and everything in between.

If your dad loves cars, specifically sports cars, then this is the build for him. Whether he’s had one of these in his time, or has always longed for it, he’ll love working his way through the 1,458 pieces to complete the Porsche 911. It’s part of the Lego Creators range, which the brand says is most suitable for bigger kids, aged 18+, and launched last year.

Designed by Mike Psiaki, who is no stranger to the creator range, the build is made up of lots of pleasing little sections that slot together to form the interior. Little yet impressive details include the opening boot to reveal the engine, as well as functioning doors.

But the piste de la resistance is that, unlike many other creator sets, there are also actually two variations in this build: the souped-up turbo edition complete with back spoiler, or the sleeker top-down more sophisticated targa.

Lego worked hard to be able to capture the sleek lines of the car, that it’s so farmed for and this is a creative and very enjoyable build for any sports car and Lego fan alike.

Best: Burger kit

Rating: 9.5/10

Who doesn’t love a burger? We’re big fans of DIY food kits, which over the past two years plenty of food companies branched out into. This is a fun present to make together – and then of course devour together too. Those of you in either Leamington Spa or Rugby may know the physical restaurants, but the kits are available for countrywide delivery.

There are four kits to choose from: 004, 007, 005 and 111, which range from £23 to £30 and have everything you need to make four burgers, which compared to your average burger takeaway is pretty good value. We went for 007, mostly because the picture of it looked unreal, and we’re sure you agree too.

Made up of the brand’s signature patty – a blend of chuck, brisket and flank cuts from Aberdeenshire cattle – already this sets itself above your average slide. The kit comes with brioche buns, American cheese slices, house chilli to layer on top of the patties, chimichurri, pickles plus red and yellow squeezy bottles of ketchup and American mustard that are perfect to reuse for barbecues at home. There are detailed instructions for how to build your burger too.

The result is an excellent smokey and deliciously tender burger, with all the right little additions, from the pickles to the cheese. We found we could have added a touch more chimichurri and sauce too, but found the meat to be superb and up there with one of the best burger kits, actually – one of the best burgers we’ve ever had: think Five Guys, but gourmet. We know dad will love this come Father’s Day, and will absolutely be reordering for the family again too.

Best: Linen shirt

Rating: 8.5/10

Dad can never have too many shirts, and in our opinion, a linen shirt is a summer must-have, whether that’s for a staycation in Devon or somewhere further flung, pottering in the garden, or lunch in the local pub garden.

Beaufort & Blake was founded by three friends who wanted to make great-fitting shirts that had a sense of British personality. Aside from these pieces, you’ll find plenty of endearing prints on boxers, shorts, while everything has a real pop of colour – its signature look. It’s all about premium materials, but at affordable prices.

Pieces focus on longevity, so it’s less about fashion, and more about quality and timeliness – which is pretty easy for a linen shirt. This casual shirt is soft and made from 100 per cent linen (so wash it on a cool setting) and has the most fabulous bright blue colour that really screams summer – and will hopefully have dad booking a summer getaway in no time. We love that it comes in recycled packaging too.

Best: Sentimental book

Rating: 9/10

Is your dad stuck behind a computer screen all day, but dreaming of making something with his very own hands? His enthusiasm will be met with author and journalist Jonathan Gornall’s book about building a traditional clinker wooden boat for his newborn daughter, Phoebe. Although he’s never done anything like it before, and knows little about woodwork, and even less about boatbuilding, he’s determined.

The book gets pretty technical with the nitty-gritty of woodwork, joins, nautical language of boatbuilding as well as the specialist tools needed, most of which have changed very little in the past 2,000 years. But alongside this is the author’s relationship with his daughter, featuring tenderly written passages addressed directly to Phoebe, where he focuses on himself as a father, and his hopes for her future. There are also the slightly eccentric people he meets along the way who help him in his quest.

It’s a truly inspiring read, albeit for a slightly niche audience, but it proves what can be achieved alongside the daily struggles of life with work, mortgages and a family to bring up. The book serves as a poignant reminder not to lose the traditional skills of the past as technology increases to advance.

Best: Hot sauce

Rating: 8/10

For any hot sauce and spice lovers, the chance to create your own personalised sauce (or to recieve one created for you) is pretty cool. This customisable sauce is from the brand behind TikTok’s famous The Good Bagel Seasoning. You could either make one for your dad yourself, and even add a picture and name to the label, or give it as a gift for him to do himself. All you need to do is choose the base, vinegar, heat, flavours and character and wait for it to arrive to devour.

Best: Pj set

Rating: 8.5/10

Sleepwear that can be worn in the daytime too is one of our favourite things – casual, comfy clothes that look too good to just be worn in bed. And we think dad will be very pleased to unwarp a Desmond & Dempsey pair. The brand is known for its gorgeous travel-inspired prints and loose-fitting cuts, and we love this classic set in the tropical design. Its muted tones will suit dads who like fun prints that aren’t too bold, which means they can be worn more than just on the beach too. But if he does prefer something louder, there’s a huge range of around 18 prints to choose from too, as these are some of the brand’s best sellers – and for good reason.

Made from 100 per cent, the set is light and airy, perfect for summer sleeping and daywear. The shirt fit is boxy and looks just as good worn at home as it does out and about with black denim jeans, or on the beach with the matching shorts, which have deep pockets, a tie elasticated waist and sit just above the knee with an upturned hem. The shirt and shorts can also be bought separately. For the extra touch, you can also have them personalsied with up to three letters. 

Best: Gin

Rating: 9/10

From one of our favourite distillers, this Devon-based brand has been upping its gin game by collaborating with top chefs. This time around it is with Paul Ainsworth who owns and runs No 6 restaurant in Padstow with his wife Emma. The flavour of this gin is based on one of the chef’s dishes which uses plenty of Cornish foraged botanicals.

Limited to 10,000 bottes, the gin is full of fresh flavours from lime and blood orange, to fennel, seashore herbs, a hint of oyster leaf and topped off with warming allspice. It’s rich and velvety and finishes with a wonderful citrus tang and a little warmth. Dad will love to serve it in a big glass over plenty of ice with a slice of a crunchy apple. If you purchase it without the box, Salcombe Gin will donate £5 to the Marine Conservation Society.

Best: Pizza oven

Rating: 9/10

Who doesn’t love a pizza? We’re sure you’ve all seen one of these by one – including dad – and it’s something the whole family will benefit from too. So club together with siblings and treat him to one of these Ooni ovens and he’ll be keen to make you all pizzas again and again. First choose between wood fire and gas – we like the ease of gas – and then get ready for dad to get practising to perfect his dough. You’ll need to buy a gas canister too from a hardware shop and it comes with the gas regulator and hose. At just 9.25kg, it’s super portable and is only marginally larger than the pizza stone base that it comes with too. The legs prop out, but you’ll want to put it on a table so you can see into it more easily.

It reaches 500 degrees Celcius in just 15 minutes, and then cooks pizzas in a minute. Although you’ll need to turn them for even cooking (hence wanting to be able to see inside). So we recomend using a pizza paddle too help with this too. Pizzas come out wonderfully bubbly just like you’d get in any good pizza restaurant. And when you add up the cost of a few pizza deliveries, with this you’ll actually be saving money, and having more fun!

Best: Gardening tools

Rating: 8/10

Gardening loving dads will be even more keen to get out in the garden and plant new bulbs and flowers with these beautiful tools. Made by a family run business who have been making tools for 115 years, we like the ergonomically designed smooth wooden handles, which are made from ash and are easy to hold and use. The trowel, made from steel, is 18cm long with a nicely pointed tip, making it easy to break even the hardest soil. It is longer and narrower than many trowels, but we think it makes it easier to be more precise. If you want to give more than one, there’s also the matching three-pronged fork (£22, Daylesford.com) which together make a nifty new set. And to make sure they don’t go walkies, hang them up by the string in the shed.

Best: For dim sum lovers

Rating: 8/10

For the dad who loves to cook, and more specifically loves dishing up anything from Chinese to Vietnmaese food, this is an absolute winner. The two tier steamer – with a lid – is one of the most versatile and cheapest cooking items anyone can have in their kitchen arsenal. From steaming vegetables or dim sum to cooking rice. The benefit is steaming keeps in more nutrients than boiling veg. It’s also made from sustainable bamboo, can be put directly on the table to serve and is super easy to clean. A win win in our eyes.

Best: Luxury chocolates

Rating: 9.5/10

From one of the country’s best chocolatiers, these large but delicate discs of chocolate are little slices of heaven in our eyes, thanks to the silky milk chocolate and little hints of delicious sea salt: our favourite combination. It’s certainly a big step up from a chocolate orange – just don’t expect dad to share these.

Best: Swim shorts

Rating: 8/10

Creating small run collections, Che speciailises in just shorts and shirts and has a sustainable ethos running through everything. The sunseeker swim shorts are the brand’s signature design, and are made with recycled nylon made from waste yarns. The rather smart design – with a zip fly, two side pockets and mesh lining, means they can be worn swimming (as intended) – as well as anywhere away from the pool.

But what our tester loved most about these is the ribbed waistband, and inside it has silicone bands that helps keep them in place, too. There’s also a zipped back pocket so he can keep keys in. There’s 13 colours to choose from, but we think the powder blue shade is perfect for summer.

Best: Wireless charger

Rating: 8/10

Wires are annoying: fact. We’re slowly getting rid of them when it comes to headphones etc, but chargers are where we really need it. Obscenely long cables trailing from sockets to tables are a real no no. Instead of people tripping over them and losing them (we all do), go wireless with this nifty pad. It’s small and has non-slip feet and is sleek enough to go unnoticed as a piece of tech in your home. The pad is fast charging, which uses USB-C cables, and this is included, but you’ll need to buy a fast-charging wall plug to go with it. It’s compatible with Apple and Galaxy phones and can even charge Airpods too. So hopefully, he’ll never run out of battery again! Available in store only.

Best: Coffee table book

Rating: 8/10

Split into three sections, this book is the go-to for everything he’ll want to know about coffee, from the section about each of the 35 coffee-producing countries, explaining the differences between their produce and process, to the other two sections which focus on everything from its history to the best way to brew it. Written by champion barista and coffee expert James Hoffman, it’s an insiders guide to the industry that any coffee aficionado will devour.

Best: Face moisturiser

Rating: 9/10

Ok, so it moisturises well, it’s light and definitely isn’t greasy, but what’s our favourite thing about this cult-classic product? It’s the smell – a lovely clean and fresh light scent that will inspire him to use this every day. It’s also a travel-friendly size too, so there will always be room for this in his wash bag.

Best: Beer gift pack

Rating: 9/10

Forget all misconceptions of low alcoholic beer, as here, they’re just that – misconceptions. This Bermondsey brewery has made top notch beers that are only 2.8 per cent ABV and below. This gift pack has four little stubby 350ml bottles (as the name suggests): a classic pilsner lager, a session pale, an amber and a dark lager. Our favourite is the lager, but we’re sure dad will enjoy finding his fave too.

But it doesn’t stop at just producing low ABV drinks that you’d never know were just that: the brand is also London’s first brewery to achieve B Copr certification. To do this, it’s met the highest sustainable and environmentally friendly standards – a status all responsible companies strive for, but it’s incredibly difficult to achieve. So with each sip, you know it’s all come from a good place, plus it’s vegan.

Best: Chef’s knife

Rating: 9/10

We think a handmade knife is the ultimate home cook’s accessory. This Japanese inspired santoku knife, handmade in south east London’s Peckham, is a firm favourite with the likes of Nigella Lawson and Mark Hix, and uses Japanese blue paper carbon steel as its core and is covered with folded iron cladding, meaning it’s super strong and very sharp.

With its 180mm blade, this is the most versatile knife from the brand, owing to its shape, slightly curved blade and ability to chop a multitude of ingredients. We just know he’ll love showing off his knife skills in the kitchen with this.

Best: For cheese lovers

Rating: 8/10

Very little has changed in this cheesemaking process since its beginnings in the 17th century, apart from using vegetarian rennet, that is. If it ain’t broke, etc. Using cow’s milk, this is an intensely creamy and smooth stilton, that’s soft yet crumbly to the touch which melts in the mouth. It’s been aged for 12 weeks to get that excellent mature blue flavour that it’s so well known for. We’re sure he’ll love to match it with crispy oat biscuits, a sweet fig chutney and a glass of pudding wine, or adding a generous slab of it to burgers on the barbecue. It weighs around 3.5kg and will certainly keep him going for a while, but there are smaller sizes available too.

Best: For home chefs

Rating: 9/10

Made from heavy aluminium, this pan spreads heat evenly thanks to the stainless steel disc on the bottom, which is cleverly suitable for all heat sources from induction to gas and will revolutionise everything from the humble Sunday roast to one-pot veggie wonders. As with all the brand’s products, it should last a lifetime if well looked after. It does come with a 10-year guarantee and is dishwasher safe, so dad won’t have to spend hours scrubbing it clean in the sink.

Best: Little luxury gift

Rating: 8.5/10

If your dad is always losing (sorry, misplacing) cards, or has a wallet about to burst with store cards and receipts, he needs a cardholder. And they don’t come smarter than Smythsons. It’s a real treat considering the price tag versus the size, but it’s beautifully crafted leather. It has two slots per side for cards, plus one in the middle. We’d advise not to overload it with cards (keep it to the essentials like bank card and ID) to keep its shape for longer, and it will last years. You can also personalise it too with initials on the bottom right, from £6.95 per letter.