Eater’s under-$25 holiday gift guide is, unabashedly, one of my favorites to curate during gift guide season — both as a shopping writer and a writer who lives, laughs, loves to shop. I live for the thrill of a thrifty find; that rush of finding the perfect gift that somehow comes in way under budget is a sensation I first experienced while thrifting with my mom as a kid, when I was taught to sniff out authentic English ironstone bowls like an Antiques Roadshow bloodhound. I have been John Wick-training for this moment.
The best gifts under $25 for the true food freaks in your life (including yourself) should speak to their specific culinary obsessions, tastebuds, and cult-fave restaurants. Keep an eye out for those limited-edition holiday gifts that are going to sell out soon, and, when you see a potential present, ask yourself: does it inspire whimsy? Why should I settle for a spoon rest that isn’t shaped like ravioli? Move those mugs and snacks from heritage and indie brands to the front of the line, and maybe even click add-to-cart twice so that you, too, can experience the magic of Spaghetti Dust.
Whether you’re looking for a White Elephant present or an offering to impress your in-laws, let’s shop for the best food- and drink-related gifts under $25.
A versatile gingerbread spice
Diaspora Spice Co. is one of my favorite places to buy spices online, because the selection is always exciting and the company pays its farm partners an average of six times more than the commodity price. This year’s enticingly versatile gingerbread spice blend caught my eye, because it can be used for baking, or for simply sprinkling over coffee for a festive boost. Bundle it up with a nice velvet bow and a highly specific, nostalgic thrift-store mug for a delightful gift.
$14
Diaspora Spice Co. Gingerbread Spice
This cult-fave tube of seasoning for spaghetti aglio olio e peperoncino
The wonder elicited from this traveling tube of “Spaghetti Dust” — aka ready-to-sprinkle dried garlic, Calabrian chile flakes, parsley, and sea salt — with its groovy graphics and gift-ready packaging, makes it one of the coolest food-themed presents that’s sure to sell out this holiday season. Just add olive oil and al dente pasta, and you’re ready to eat a delicious meal.
A stoneware mug for Mom or Dad’s collection
There’s something so comforting about a stoneware mug — holding one makes me feel instantly more cozy and learned, like a Nancy Meyers character rediscovering joy in an English countryside cottage. The ceramic material makes stoneware a great insulator when it comes to heat retention (without burning your hands), and this rustic, splatter stoneware mug from Hudson Grace is a looker.
For the Kewpie mayo devotee
Your giftee has all the deep-cut Kewpie mayonnaise flavors. They might even own the Kewpie cookbook. Now, give them the gift of a Kewpie mayo ornament to solidify their fealty to the Japanese mayo brand.
Beautifully packaged olive oil
Ya Albi is a Palestinian American, mother-daughter-owned company that sources its slightly sweet, full-bodied olive oil from the West Bank, and packages it all in a chic pink tin. Plus, all of the oil’s proceeds go toward HEAL Palestine, a nonprofit organization that supports Palestinian children impacted by the war on Gaza. (To shop for even more Palestinian olive oils, check out this Eater guide.)
$25
Ya Albi Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Soap inspired by Swedish princess cake
Technically, it’s 20 cents over our $25 budget, but this princess cake-inspired soap from Flamingo Estate is too good to pass up. The soap is made by whipping together shea butter and raspberry oil, and perfumed with a combination of scents like sweet almond, heliotrope blossoms, and musky amber to create a marzipan and cream-esque olfactory profile. The bar is then given a final romantic garnish, and elegantly engraved with its prinsesstårta namesake.
$25
Flamingo Estate Prinsesstårta Milk Bar Soap
Take Eater to Paris with you
From traditional, sprawling brasseries to the incoming wave of Parisian global gastronomy, Eater has you covered for dining out in the City of Lights with The Eater Guide to Paris. Whether your giftee is planning an upcoming trip to Paris or an aspirational one, this trusty tome is filled with vetted Eater favorites for every kind of hungry traveler.
The stocking stuffer for someone who watches The Gilded Age
It’s always a bonus when you find a gift with packaging so stunning that it’s already gift-ready. Pastiglie Leone is a heritage Italian confectionery whose candies make a perfect stocking stuffer, host gift, or present for the person in your life who owns a silver-plated toast rack and goes to high tea at least once a year.
$8
Leone Original Candy (Polar Strong)
A snack food sticker pack
For the home cook who also loves to journal, I suggest a fresh batch of snack-centric stickers. What better way is there to bookend a day than with a sticker spread featuring Pocky and Heineken beer?
Because you love making (or just eating) sushi at home
This gift is great because it’s a present (novelty! whimsy!) and a hint about something quite practical (do the dishes!).
“If tang yuan and peanut butter had a baby”
In the words of indie pantry brand Rooted Fare, this crunchy black sesame butter is “like if tang yuan and peanut butter had a baby.” Creamy and nutty, it’s the ideal spread for the friend with a semi-sweet tooth. I can’t stop eating it.
Think of this as a finishing spray for surface cleaning
If someone you love loves to cook, it’s likely that they also love nice kitchen hand soaps and cleaning products. This non-toxic, bleach-free all-purpose cleaner from Avant has been in my Sunday cleaning prod rotation ever since I had my first whiff at the always chic Field and Fort in Summerland, California. The linen scent transports me to the smell of the clean laundry carts at Cité Internationale Universitaire in Paris, France, because it’s crisp, elegant, and subtle. I’ll use it to spot clean any surface, but I especially enjoy cleaning with it at the end of the day (or before hosting) on everything from kitchen sinks to table to surfaces. Bonus points for the fact that its refills come in little recyclable glass jars.
For the person who’s always making incredible salads
When designer Marta Cornwell invented this kale razor, she gave us the power to tame one of nature’s heartiest, most annoying versatile superfoods from the garden.
Postmodern martini glasses
You never know what gems are hiding in the sale section of the MoMA Design Store. In this case: a set of four postmodern martini glasses. At nearly 60 percent off, this set delivers a chipper, serotonin-boosting jolt of color to the cocktail party that is welcome all year long, but especially in the frostier seasons.
$25
MoMA Design Store Saturn Glassware Martini Glasses (Set of 4)
A pasta-lover’s dream spoon rest
Weary spoons, whisks, and every other utensil under the Sun can find its throne upon this giant spoon rest shaped like ravioli. (As a perpetual splasher of sauce, the extra surface area is also appreciated.)
For the Ina to your Jeffrey
Ah, our patron saint of al fresco dining, roasted chicken, and “quarantinis”: the Barefoot Contessa herself. The handmade element of this Ina Garten ornament makes it perfect for your loved one’s shrine tree.
