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It’s never too early to get a head start on holiday gifting. After all, getting your shopping done now means you can focus on the important things once the holidays actually roll around—you know, like spending time with family, cooking a festive feast, and enjoying plenty of mulled cider and wine. If you’re in need of gifts for the food people in your life, look no further. These are the 27 gifts we’re planning to give (or hoping to receive) this year.
Under $50
A cute mug
A handmade mug is a little luxury they’ll use every day (and think of you when they do!). Tailor your pick to your giftee’s caffeine preferences to make it feel more personal: opt for an oversized mug for the friend who needs drip coffee on an IV, or a more petite cup for the cappuccino drinker.
Some of our favorite cookbooks
Cookbooks make for great gifts, and lucky for you, we’ve spent all year cooking through dozens of them to find the best ones. These are a few favorites from our quarterly best new releases roundups, like Yotam Ottolenghi’s latest collection of weeknight-friendly recipes and Roxana Jullapat’s ode to morning baking.
A fancy pair of kitchen scissors
These cheery yellow kitchen scissors aren’t just fun to look at—they’re super practical, too. The shears come equipped with a bottle opener, a nutcracker, and a lid opener, and the blades separate for easy cleaning, plus the bright color makes them easy to spot amidst all your other cooking tools.
A handmade rolling pin
That aunt who always insists on baking the pies for Thanksgiving? Get her a handmade walnut rolling pin she’ll use for years to come. These French-style pins come in a marbled cardboard case that’s perfect for gifting. Their handleless design makes them comfortable to grip and easy to maneuver, and allows you to get a nuanced feel for your dough as you roll.
Monthly deliveries of rare coffee beans
Get the friend who nerds out on coffee roasting and fermentation processes a subscription to Podium Coffee Club’s Platinum tier, which sources its monthly beans from award-winning roasters across the country. The Platinum tier is focused on rare coffee varietals made using experimental techniques, so it’s perfect for someone who likes an expressive, unique roast.
If you’re the kind of person who’s always ordering the fun new seasonal pour-over option at your local craft coffee shop, or who hunts down rare bean varietals like it’s your job, Podium Coffee Club’s Podium Platinum is the coffee subscription for you. Founded in 2023, Podium is a relatively new kid on the block in the world of coffee subs. The concept? A subscription service that solely sends out coffees that have stood on the podium (hence the name) at a major US coffee competition. The brand’s Podium Platinum subscription focuses on coffees that are unique and experimental in some way, be it flavor-wise, varietal-wise, or through the processing technique used.
Testers: Noah Kaufman, senior commerce editor, and Alaina Chou, commerce writer
In the two months we’ve tested this service, we’ve received two bags of coffee that have lived up to that claim. The first bag was a light roast from Royal Flamingo Coffee, a micro-roaster based in Columbus, Ohio. The beans, grown in Colombia, were made using the Black Honey process and mossto lactic fermentation, which you can read more about on Podium’s website. The notes of blueberries, white chocolate, and florals definitely came through in the brewed coffee in both smell and taste, though not too aggressively. We quite enjoyed this one.
The next coffee hailed from Wonderstate Coffee in Wisconsin and claimed notes of gummy bear, melon, and cooked berries. That might seem like a crazy flavor profile for a bag of coffee, but the brewed stuff was subtle and highly drinkable.
The bottom line: This is a great coffee subscription to get if you’re looking to explore, nerd out on coffee-making processes, or discover award-winning roasters from across the country. Note that Podium also offers a less expensive Podium Gold subscription option, which does not get you the same unique selection that the Platinum offers.
| Specs |
|---|
| Price: $29.50/10.58-oz. bag |
| Delivery frequency: Every month |
| Our go-to order: Podium Platinum subscription |
Mini tins of infused salt for the person who can never have enough seasoning
We all know someone who finishes every dish with flaky salt. Get them this pack of tins from Jacobsen Salt Co., each of which is filled with a different kind of infused salt. They’re small enough to slip into even the tiniest of purses, so your salt-loving friend will never be without their favorite flaky finisher.
A pair of fish-shaped dish scrubbers
These adorable scrubbers are great for cleaning grime off delicate cookware, dishes, or glassware. They’re absorbent, fast-drying, and have hooks for hanging—plus they’re incredibly cute.
$50-$100
An elevated set of water glasses
I recently added these elegant tumblers to my collection thinking they’d be great for dinner parties, and they are—but they’ve also become my new favorite everyday water and iced latte glasses, because while they’re beautiful, they feel sturdy enough for daily use. They bring a smile to my face every time I use them, which is exactly what a great gift should do, isn’t it?
For the friend with a fireplace
These all-natural firestarters are a chic alternative to the typical firestarter logs, and would make an excellent host gift for the friend who’s lucky enough to have a fireplace or outdoor fire pit.
An elegant oil can
An olive oil can is the kind of thing that’s meant to live on your counter, so why not upgrade to a beautiful one? This sleek stainless steel model from Seattle-based design studio Holcomb has been in my gifting rotation since it was released. It goes with multiple different home aesthetics and looks equally at home by the stove as it does on a dinner party table.
And a generous supply of olive oil to go with it
This snazzy supply of olive oil is a great example of a practical item that’s still gift-worthy. The bold tin (designed in collaboration with Los Angeles-based artist Dave Bowers) makes it a statement kitchen decor piece, and the oil inside is cold-pressed in California by one of our favorite olive oil brands.
A mini hot pot
Give the gift of cozy hot pot nights at home with this cute and compact appliance by Fly By Jing. You could even pair it with an H Mart gift card, so your giftee can stock up on thinly sliced meats and other add-ins.
Merch from their favorite brand
Your shoppy shop-obsessed friend will jump at the chance to rep their favorite pantry brand, whether that means donning a “Fish Dad” hat from beloved conservas company Fishwife or throwing on a bright blue Fly By Jing sweatshirt to keep them toasty this winter. And if that sweatshirt looks familiar, it’s because it just so happened to be featured in an episode of Netflix’s Nobody Wants This.
The gift of perfectly spreadable butter
Buttered toast is a perfect food, in my opinion, and anyone that agrees will adore this handblown glass butter keeper from East Fork. Its design ensures your butter can be kept at room temperature for weeks without spoiling, which means it’ll stay perfectly spreadable and ready to be swiped across whatever carbs you so choose.
A whimsical serving set
Give the designated host friend a set of whimsical spiral-tipped serving utensils to use at their next dinner party. And don’t worry, they’re dishwasher-safe.
A fancy bottle opener
This tortoise-handled bottle opener from Parisian flatware brand Sabre makes for a handsome host gift, especially when paired with a bottle of your favorite pét-nat or non-alc apéritif.
A luxe-smelling hand wash
I’m secretly hoping someone restocks my own supply of this luxurious hand wash this holiday season. It comes in a glass bottle that’s so pretty I took to refilling it with cheaper hand soap after the original soap was long gone, but the scent—a delicate mix of jasmine, geranium, and orange blossom—is what really makes it worth buying.
A set of ramekins they’ll use every day
Any friend who cooks will appreciate receiving this set of ramekins from cult-favorite pottery brand East Fork. At four ounces, they’re a versatile size that works for equally as well for portioning mise en place as it does for serving condiments or sauces.
$100+
A pepper mill for the design-savvy friend who already ‘has everything’
This stylish pepper grinder looks incredibly cool, but it’s also made with function in mind. That swanky-looking handle? It’s designed to be ergonomic, able to be held and twisted in myriad ways depending on what’s most comfortable for the user. This gift set pairs the grinder with Piper’s 50/50 blend of black and red peppercorns, portioned into four individual packets to ensure the spices stay fresh.
A taste of California’s bounty
This gift set brings a taste of Richard Christiansen’s Flamingo Estate to your pantry. It’s full of high-quality products you’ll actually use—no weird spice blends or waxy chocolates here.
A gorgeous handcrafted cutting board
These stunning wood cutting boards are truly heirloom-worthy, handcrafted by expert woodworkers from sturdy hardwood. They're versatile pieces that are durable enough to be your everyday chopping boards and beautiful enough to serve as serving vessels for cheese and charcuterie.
A tinned fish feast
For the friend who would gladly eat tinned fish for dinner every night, I suggest this 10-pack of greatest hits from Fishwife. It’s got a little bit of everything, from the brand’s smoked salmon collab with Fly By Jing to the fan-favorite Smoked Rainbow Trout with Chimichurri, plus their limited-edition Little Sardines, which are only available as a part of the brand’s holiday sets.
Crunchy ice on demand
The iced beverage fiend in your life will go gaga for this mini version of our longtime favorite ice maker, the GE Opal. Despite its more compact footprint and lower price tag, it produces the same crunchy nugget ice we know and love—and it’s available in some cute colorways.
A handblown rainbow-hued vase
You can’t go wrong with a beautiful vase, especially if you fill that vase with a bouquet of fresh flowers. This colorful glass number is sure to earn your giftee compliments, and I love that it’s hand-blown, which means every piece is one-of-a-kind.
Endless espresso
Give the latte lover who also values convenience this do-it-all machine from Nespresso, which combines the brand's signature pod technology with an automatic milk frother that'll have them pouring latte art like a pro.
A curated wine subscription
When in doubt, opt for wine. But instead of picking up a random bottle, treat your giftee to a month (or three, or six!) of deliveries from New York City wine bar and shop Parcelle, whose Wine Drop subscription service has been a longtime BA fave. Choose between red, white, rare, or a curated monthly mix, and Parcelle will take care of the rest.