The Under $25 Gift Guide Full of Gifts You’d Never Guess Were Under $25
There are all those stocking stuffer random gifts you keep adding to your holiday shopping list, for the dog-walker, the various cousins, the kids’ teachers, the mailperson—don’t forget them, they’re working overtime lately. This is where our Under $25 gift guide comes in handy. Make sure you put some effort into wrapping these items with cute tiny bows and lovely paper—otherwise your giftee might think you just reached into your pantry. Which...maybe you did. No one needs to know.
Find the rest of our 2019 gift guides right here.
All products featured on Bonappetit.com are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
PHOTO BY CHELSIE CRAIG, FOOD STYLING BY GABY MELIAN1/23For the hors d'oeuvre aficionado
Not sure if you’ve noticed, but our staff is obsessed with canned and jarred fish. And these anchovies, from Donostia, a.k.a. San Sebastian, were some of the best we tried all year. They’re so buttery and tender (and subtle in the fishy flavor), that we like to eat them on toast with a slab of butter, on pizza, or plain, lightly dressed with sherry vinegar and olive oil. Oh, and they’re sustainably sourced, wild-caught, etc. to boot.
Buy It: Donostia Cantabrian anchovies in olive oil, $10 at Donastia Foods
Photo by Chelsie Craig2/23For the neat freak
Japanese Kamenoko Tawashi scrubbers have a healthy cult following, and we very much pray at the altar. These durable, waterproof palm fibers brushes are tough enough for washing dirty dishes, pots, and pans (especially of the cast iron variety!), but gentle enough to clean veggies, too. If your friends, family, love interests, colleagues, bosses…don’t have one of these already, they probably need one. We love the brand’s body exfoliating brush just as much, and for the same reasons: They’re bristly enough to get you squeaky clean, but gentle enough that your skin’s glowy, not raw.
Photo by Chelsie Craig3/23For the tahini superfan
This is the lazy cook’s tahini: It’s so silky-smooth that you never have to stir. Better yet though, Soom is so delicious—nutty, earthy, and just the right level of bitter—it also makes whatever we’re cooking taste just plain better. That’s because the White Humera sesame seeds used here, sourced from the Tigray region of northwest Ethiopia, have the ideal oil to meat ratio, meaning that it doesn’t take any extra oil or additives for the tahini to remain emulsified. We’re not the only ones who think it’s the best. Chef Michael Solomov deemed the Philadelphia-based, sister-owned company his favorite brand in his first book Zahav.
Photo by Chelsie Craig4/23For the tchotchke appreciator
Scented room sprays can be hit or miss. An earthy pinon incense wafting out of a charming, appealingly kitsch Altoid-tin-size pueblo dwelling, on the other hand, is a freakin' homerun. Made from dried out and compressed pine needles from the southwest region of New Mexico, the sugar-cube-like incense bricks emit a woodsy aroma that’s perfect any time of the year, but particularly delightful in the winter time.
Buy it: Casa Burner with Pinon Natural Wood Incense, $10 on Amazon
Photo by Chelsie Craig5/23For the person with a discerning condiment shelf
This is the one miso brand that Bon Appétit food editors covet above the rest. That’s because the texture is distinctly dense and chunky yet still soft and malleable. The flavor is deep and bold but not bitter or astringent, and much funkier and more complex (in a good way) than the mass produced stuff. What makes South River Miso so special? It’s been made for 40 years in central Massachusetts by Christian and Gaella Elwell who abide by the traditional methods.
Buy it: South River Miso Sweet-Tasting Brown Rice Miso, $20 on Amazon
Photo by Alex Lau6/23For the coworker with the messy desk
We may be living in a Marie Kondo world, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t things—tchotchkes, knick-knacks, call ‘em what you will—that still bring us tons of joy. We found a solution to having it both ways: these perfectly simple, utilitarian-but-still-cute trays from Schoolhouse Electric, which help keep all our crap appear neat and tidy and intentionally placed. Sure they’re another “thing” to have around the house, but their neutral tones and petite size make them a joy unto themselves.
Photo by Chelsie Craig7/23For the nut butter nut
This heavenly mixture of peanuts, almonds, cardamom, sugar, honey, clove, ginger, cinnamon, black pepper, vanilla, and Jacobsen sea salt is so straight-out-of-the-jar good, it’s basically the indie, small-batch, chunky chai tea–flavored nut butter equivalent of fairies and cloudless 74° days and rainbows. If we were millionaires, we’d spread it on everything that came our way.
Buy it: Big Spoon Roasters’ Chai Spice peanut butter, $12 at Big Spoon Roasters
Photo by Alex Lau8/23For the sweet-(but-not-too-sweet)-tooth
These are the world’s finest dates. They’re plump and have a natural caramelized flavor. They're fat free, rich in fiber, potassium, and copper. And because they're so sweet, they’re practically dessert. We like to use ‘em as an everyday desk snack, preworkout fuel (smear ‘em with almond butter!), or as part of an elegant predinner party spread.
Buy it: 2 lb. box Rancho Meladuco Dates, $38 at Williams Sonoma
Photo by Chelsie Craig9/23For the “modest” drinker
We aren’t known to let a good bottle of wine go unfinished, but when we must leave some for later, we’re reaching for these small, innocuous-looking bottle stoppers. Made from rubber and stainless steel, with ridges and a funnel-like shape, these guys provide an actually-airtight seal, which means that if you happen to forget about that open bottle in the fridge for a few days, chances are, the juice inside is still just as good as the day you opened it. We’d suggest giving this gift...with an accompanying bottle of wine too.
Photo by Chelsie Craig10/23For anyone, and everyone, because it’s cookies
If you’re not going to bake cookies as a gift, you better be buying the best. Buttery but not too rich, shiny with a crunchy sugared top, these cookies are pretty much perfection. The tin gives it a cozy grandma vibe, but like—a really cool, modern, and very New York one. All of the flavors are delicious, but we’re especially partial to the Lavender & Coconut one.
Buy It: Tin of Café Warshafsky Lavender & Coconut Shortbreads, $25 at Cafe Warshafsky
Photo by Chelsie Craig11/23For the schleppers among us
This bag is made for the schleppers among us. Made in partnership with an independent women’s sewing cooperative in Juárez, Mexico, the lightweight polyester tote is designed to hold up to 45 pounds—and without the straps digging into your shoulders. Two deep interior pockets make it easy to keep cash, keys, and other essentials that usually get trapped at the bottom of the bag separate. But best of all, the whole tote folds up into a card-deck-size roll, making it easy to stash in a spare pocket for any impromptu purchases.
Buy it: Junes The Mesh Bag, $20 at Junes
Photo by Chelsie Craig12/23For the person as radiant as saffron
This small-batch company in Newcastle, Maine, specializes in simple syrups made from local ingredients like blueberry and more unusual blends, like lavender and lemon. The whole lineup is commendable, but the saffron syrup is our ride-or-die. Made of only a few ingredients—unbleached sugar, saffron, lime juice, and cinnamon—the syrup makes almost any drink taste better and more complex. The subtle, earthy, slightly floral syrup pairs well with any base spirit, but it’s also delicious stirred into fresh lemonade or plain yogurt, or drizzled over pizza or hard cheese.
Photo by Ted + Chelsea Cavanaugh13/23For the environmentally friendly friend
Plastic manages to sneak its way into all the little things we do every day—sometimes right in front of our faces, like when we’re sipping an iced coffee or juice. We’re all about finding ways to kick the habit by replacing the disposable items we use and abuse regularly with reusable goods. The fact that these shatter resistant, BPA free, non-toxic glass straws are so pretty is just an added benefit.
Photo by Laura Murray, Food styling by Kat Boystova14/23For the sauce collector
This slightly spicy amalgam of tomatoes, garlic, salt, black mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, turmeric, asafetida, tamarind, sesame oil, and sugar is the improves-anything-you-put-it-on sauce/condiment we like to keep on hand. Sure it sounds like a cop-out to say that it goes with everything, but we haven’t met a savory application that it doesn’t work with: salmon, green beans, eggs, chicken, rice, toast... I mean, it tastes like Italian tomato sauce meets harissa. What wouldn’t that taste good with?
Buy it: Brooklyn Delhi Tomato Achaar (2 jars), $21 on Amazon
Photo by Laura Murray15/23For the person who wants a more equitable food industry
La Cocina, San Francisco’s first nonprofit food incubator has more than just a lofty mission: to provide low income women of color the chance to succeed in a market most lack the resources to break into. By providing affordable kitchen space, technical training, marketing connections, and hands-on help with the nitty-gritty stuff—like permits and payroll—La Cocina is also helping to level one of the nation’s most competitive playing fields, and proving that true wellness goes beyond what’s on our plates. It’s about the strength of our communities. Earlier this year, the incubator came out with their first cookbook, compiling 40 profiles and more than 100 recipes from the women who make the space the powerhouse that it is. It truly is a gift, because now we don’t need a flight across the country to bring our favorite Bay Area flavors—from Sariwa, Nyum Bai, Reem’s to name a few—home. (For more cookbooks suggestions, see our guide to the right book for everyone you know.)
Buy it: La Cocina: Recipes in Pursuit of the American Dream, $19 on Amazon
Photo by Chelsie Craig16/23For the midday snacker
No one can quite agree on what, exactly, Korean Gosomi is. Some refer to it as a “biscuit,” others a “cookie,” a “cracker,” even a “sweet cookie cracker.” Regardless, these thin sesame treats are delightfully crisp and nutty, studded with sesame seeds and with just the tiniest hint of coconut. They’re finished with a sprinkle of crunchy sugar and, critically, SALT, which is why when you bite into one, every little node in your brain’s pleasure center lights up like a pinball machine. (A mini Korean lesson: The “goso” in “gosomi” refers to a word that doesn’t have an English equivalent, but it roughly means “sweet and savory in a nutty way.”) We don’t really care what you call it, but just know it’s the best-ever tea cookie that’s way too classy to be called “junk food.”
Buy it: Orion Gosomi Sweet Cookie Cracker (pack of 3), $14 on Amazon
Photo by Laura Murray17/23For the athlete that loves a good drink
This water bottle has obvious aesthetic perfection. It’s hot pink with a bright blue lid. The label has an Aperol Spritz recipe on it, as if you don’t already have it memorized. The bottle’s design is perfect for those who Exercise: It has a “sport” top, meaning you can squirt water into your mouth without unscrewing a cap or a losing an eye to a plastic straw or spilling all over the place. Plus, it’s something you can really squeeze. It doesn’t appear to be made by the Campari Group, which produces Aperol, so it miiiight be in trademark violation, but it’s just parody, right?! Right? We love it.
Photo by Chelsie Craig18/23For the farmers’ market regular
If you, like us, get great pleasure in treating your produce with TLC, then these lightweight mesh bags are for you. They come in a variety of sizes, so there’s one soft, swishy, creamy (and eco-friendly!) bag for cradling a bunch of herbs and another that will keep two handfuls of cherries from rolling around. It’s like tucking all your goodies into bed or buckling them into a car seat, which is the kind of obsessive attention your fruits and vegetables deserve—especially if you’re already going through all the trouble to hand-pick and inspect each and every apple, berry, beet, carrot...to begin with.
Buy It: purifYou Premium Reusable Mesh/Produce Bags, $16 for set of 9 on Amazon
Photo by Emma Fishman19/23For the person with hot takes about toast
Even if you’ve never spent a Saturday morning at Sqirl, you’ve probably heard of its infamous brioche toast. Chef Jessica Koslow’s most recognizable dish is sliced comically thick, with deeply toasted edges peeking out from a blanket of ricotta and two puddles of vibrant jam. It’s a transcendent toast set apart by Koslow’s handmade preserves, but you don’t need to book a flight to L.A. to get a taste of that jam—you can have a jar of it sent straight to your (or your lucky friend’s) home. (If you really want to hook it up, there’s also the jam club subscription, which delivers two jars each month for four, six, or 12 months). We’re especially into the Blenheim apricot and tangy cherry strawberry right now, but really, you can’t go wrong.
Photo by Laura Murray20/23For the person who needs help with winter coping
This light and sunny turmeric-based chai from Bellocq is lifted by a highly aromatic blend of rose hips, cardamom, ginger, and smoked black pepper. While it’s not as punchy as your typical black tea-based masala chai, it’s still spicy and floral—and very good with a splash of oat milk (or whatever milk you prefer). We also like it as the base for a hot toddy. If that’s not a good winter preparedness plan, we don’t know what is.
Photo by Laura Murray21/23For the person who’s tired of flaking all winter long
Like shea butter, but make it bees. This cream feels like fluffy Vaseline and is amazing for lips, or you can rub it into dry patches, or use it to remove makeup, or slather it all over your face and let it soak in, just like Carla Lalli Music does. Keep it by the sink to revive your hands after washing dishes, and watch as all the moisture comes back into scored paws. Yeah, it’s actually magic.
Photo by Laura Murray22/23For the person who comes home and immediately makes themselves a drink
Throwing booze under the tree can come across a bit…lazy. Like maybe you forgot to buy anything at all and, on Christmas Eve, hightailed it to the closest liquor store, grabbed the first mid-range option you saw, and threw it into one of those Santa-printed bags. To prove you’re not actually lazy, but thoughtful and prepared and very adult, there’s the 2.0 version: The cocktail kit, complete with a bottle of these Atlanta-made bitters from 18.21. We especially like their smooth-n-spiced Prohibition Aromatic Bitters, which smell like Christmas in a 1920s speakeasy full of buttery leather and sparkly ladies smoking clove cigarettes (what a dream!). Pair it with your giftees favorite rye or bourbon for a very excellent Old Fashioned, or add some absinthe to make a mean Sazerac.
TED CAVANAUGH23/23For everyone!
Obviously, the best gift you can get yourself, your family, and your friends is a subscription to Bon Appétit. What are you waiting for?!
Buy it: 1 year of Bon Appétit magazine for $15
