Holidays can be stressful, but finding the perfect gift shouldn’t be! There are so many guides online, but we’ve cut through the noise and compiled our own Goodtaste holiday gift guide, featuring hand-selected items for the food lovers (and more!) in your life. From kitchen tools to aromatic candles to after-dinner diversions, we took the guesswork out of gift-giving and rounded up a wide assortment of top picks here.
Palais de Thés Parisian Tea Advent Calendar
Food52’s tea advent calendar is a cult-favorite gift that returns year after year—and for good reason. Blends range from “single estate steeps to herbal tisanes,” and giftees can expect a different blend for every day of the month. ($29)
Mason Jar Indoor Herb Garden
Who says you can’t have fresh herbs in the wintertime? This indoor herb garden from Uncommon Goods is great for the hard-to-gift folks in your life, from bosses and colleagues to child care givers, and we’re betting it would also be a hit at a white elephant exchange! ($24)
Old-Fashioned Glass Ornament
Quirky ornaments are appropriate for any gift-giving occasion. Give the home mixologist in your life a glass Old-Fashioned cocktail ornament or browse Sur La Table’s collection of other boozy bibelots! ($28 ea.)
Offbeat Pickle Box
Mouth’s Offbeat Pickle Box isn’t just fun to unwrap—your entire family will have a blast trying unique flavors like spicy asparagus, kelp dill pickles, and “drunken tomatoes” pickled in red wine! ($90)
La Playa Candle: Cactus Flower Bamboo
We love a gift that does double duty, and this beachy candle’s handblown 9-ounce vessel, made with recycled glass, transforms into a cocktail glass once the wax has burned away. It even comes with a margarita recipe! ($35)
Kitchen Multi-Tool
We’re not pointing fingers, but we all have that certain someone in the house who’s constantly asking where everything is in the kitchen. Make it easy on them (and yourself) with this handy 12-in-1 tool equipped with everything from a cheese grater to a zester to a garlic crusher, peeler, carving fork, and stirring spoon. Plus, it’s great for camping! ($57)
Meal Planner
Meal planning is going to be a lot less stressful with this bright, cheerful weekly spread from DesignWorks Ink. Help that busy family member eliminate the daily “What’s for dinner?” quandary with a planner that not only organizes the weekly menu, but also contains a conversion cheat sheet, grocery lists, and a recipe and coupon holder. ($22)
Flavored Sugar Cubes
Your coffee-obsessed friend or family member can kick up their average cup of joe with these small-batch artisan coffee sugar cubes! With five creative flavor combinations to choose from—like rose cardamom and chocolate chile—these squares of sweetness are sure to wake up the senses. ($20 ea.)
Chocolate-Making Kit
Candy Santas in stockings are just fine for the average chocolate fan, but if you’ve got a real aficionado on your list, check out this totally unique gift that’s also an activity! Each kit contains everything needed to make all-natural, guilt-free chocolate from scratch, including step-by-step instructions and premeasured, high-quality ingredients. Available in a variety of flavors and customization options. ($34)
Crockpot Electric Lunch Box and Portable Food Warmer
Slow-cooker devotees know all about full-sized pots on the kitchen counter that have your meals ready for you when you return home in the evenings. But did you know you can also take advantage of the most convenient cooking method ever in a portable, individual-sized model that reheats any and all kinds of leftovers? Easy to plug in anywhere, holding 20 ounces, and weighing only 1.3 pounds, you can say goodbye to cold sandwiches and stale chips at your desk with this amazing lunch crock! ($30)
Double-Walled Glass Coffee Mugs
Savor coffee, cappuccino, tea, or hot chocolate—or any hot beverage of your choice, for that matter!—like never before in these sleek insulated mugs with sturdy handles that keep the heat in the glass but off your hands. Want to use them for cold drinks instead? Perfect—there’ll be no condensation on the glass or your table. Shatterproof, scratch-resistant, and freezer-, microwave-, and dishwasher-safe, these restaurant-quality mugs are a gift that’ll keep on giving. ($20 for set of 2)
Ridley’s Trivia Card Games
While everyone’s gathered together before dinner, after dinner, or even during dinner, make family holiday time more fun with easy-to-transport, easy-to-play games that provide the perfect bonding, not to mention educational, group experience. Ridley’s offers a whole collection of trivia card packs, ranging from general knowledge to famous women to brain teasers. ($10–$20)
Green Inspired Simply Grateful Journal
The holidays present an opportune time to reflect on what you’re thankful for in the past year and to set your intentions for the coming year. This handy and lovely little hardback journal is filled with prompts and quotes to keep you focused on the true spirit of the season. ($10)
Jupiter Beaded Glass Martini Glasses
Some things never go out of style—and martini glasses are one of them! But that doesn’t mean you can’t modernize the style in which you serve them, and this elegant set inspired by Parisian flea markets provides grip-friendly beaded exteriors and three colors to choose from. Not a liquor lover? No worries—they’ll work just as well for wine or Christmas morning mimosas! ($40 for set of 4)
Dualit Classic Two-Slice Toaster
Everyone loves morning toast, but who wants an unsightly toaster cluttering up their kitchen countertop 24/7? Well, when the toaster is this good-looking, you won’t want to hide it away! This English-style Dualit toaster comes in a sleek copper finish, with two extra-wide slots that can accommodate a thick piece of sourdough or some leftover banana bread. It’s an investment, but one that will get a lot of use and stand the test of time. ($300)
Farmhouse Pottery Laurel Crocks
These classic ceramic crocks from Farmhouse Pottery are great for both storing your cooking utensils and showing off some freshly cut flowers. They come in a range of sizes so you can use them to stash everything from your measuring spoons to your rolling pins. Bonus: Their vintage charm will look lovely perched next to your stovetop. ($24–$80)
Kiehl’s Ultimate Strength Hand Salve
People who spend a lot of time in the kitchen unfortunately spend a lot of time doing dishes. When coupled with an arid winter climate like Texas’, a pretty heavy-duty cream is called for to save dry cook hands. This hand salve from Kiehl’s is a Goodtaste go-to: It goes on thick but then melts into your skin. Hands are left nourished but not greasy and smelling of fresh eucalyptus. It makes a great stocking stuffer—to give and to receive. ($18 for 5 oz.)
Flamingo Estate Climbing Rosemary Candle
After a long day of cooking—or before you’re expecting company—it’s wonderful to naturally cleanse the kitchen with a candle. This vegetable wax option from Flamingo Estate has become a favorite in recent years, filling the room with the smell of a bouquet of freshly cut rosemary. After its 60-hour burn time, the thick-walled green glass holder can be repurposed for tealights or as a cocktail glass. ($55)
Electric Kettle
This isn’t your everyday teakettle! With its delightful Dalmatian print, this Haden original, designed in collaboration with Poodle & Blondie, is a limited-edition find that holds seven cups, lights up when the water is boiling, and shuts off automatically for safety. Featuring a temperature gauge, water fill window, and spare filter, this stainless-steel kettle with safe-touch plastic handle will be appreciated by the lucky recipient each and every day. ($120)
Clue for Anthropologie
Classic board game lovers will be happily surprised by this reimagined take on Clue designed exclusively for Anthropologie to accentuate the brand’s beautiful color palette and decorative aesthetic. Combining mystery, competition, and home decor all in one box, it’s the perfect gift for stylish, fun-loving game players! ($168)
Party Animal Stemless Wineglasses
Mark & Graham put the whimsy in your wine with these colorful, practical stemless wineglasses for all the animal lovers out there. Want to add a touch of personalization to it? You can monogram this glassware set for your “party animal” loved one! ($55 for set of 4)
Kebab Grilling Baskets
Kebabs are a seasonal favorite of any outdoor griller and their dining guests, but veggies and bits of meat slipping through the grate and creating a smoking, smoldering mess? Not so much. Uncommon Goods to the rescue with these utterly convenient steel wire baskets that bring low maintenance to a high-appeal menu item. They stay in place when you turn them, ensuring a beautifully even cook. ($20 ea.)
DIY Dessert of the Month Subscription
Talk about a club anyone would want to join! Treat your favorite baker to something truly sweet and thoughtful this holiday season, with a subscription that brings recipes and ingredients right to their door every month. Each dessert has been carefully curated to create a genuinely personalized gift. ($125 for 3 mos.; $225 for 6 mos.)
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