This year, my annual holiday gift guides are new and improved to make them more helpful than ever!
The gift guide includes my favorite recommendations for the KITCHEN + HOME:
- At the top of the guide is brand, new gift guide recommendations this year.
- Below that are the all-time most popular gift guide items from the last 15 years.
This means you don’t have to go clicking through 15 years of gift guide links…all the best recommendations are right here in one spot!
Remember that none of the items on my gift guides are sponsored. I’ve bought or been gifted by friends/family everything on this list – these are all games we genuinely love and play often! Affiliate links are included which means I earn a small commission if you click on the link to buy; but as always, feel free to shop around for the best deal.
New 2025 Kitchen + Home Recommendations
Stacking Cooling Rack: Talk about handy! This cooling rack saves so much counter space; love it!
Best Kitchen Scissors: I have three pairs of these in my silverware drawer and use them for EVERYTHING in the kitchen. They are dishwasher safe to clean!
Veggie Peeler: I have had a lot of vegetable peelers in my day, and this is by far the best. I’ve been using it over a year – it’s still sharp, is dishwasher safe, and doesn’t rust.
Portable Slow Cooker: I bought this to use for traveling sports events, and I’m surprised by how much I’ve used it outside of that. First of all: it’s really cute. Second of all: the way it seals makes it the perfect vessel for taking food a short or long distance. LOVE IT.
Holiday Counter Spray: This stuff has been all over social media, but I wasn’t going to promote it until I tried it myself. And…I love it. It’s a cleaner for spraying counters and such. The smell is deliciously holiday but not overpowering. It would make a great gift (for yourself or someone else!).
Chef IQ Bluetooth Thermometer: I bought this at Costco a few years ago, and I’ve loved it so much, that I’m gifting it to my dad this year for Christmas. It’s a wireless, bluetooth-connected thermometer for grilling or cooking meats. It has been so reliable for me whether I’m smoking pork on the pellet grill or cooking a turkey for Thanksgiving.
Lovely Dessert Plates: This set of dessert plates is so lovely and elegant. They can also be used for salad or anything else you want to serve them on. I have a set, and it feels special using them for Sunday desserts.
Silicone Muffin Tins: I don’t know why it took me so long to buy a set of these – but I finally did and they are LIFE-CHANGING for making egg bites (like this recipe or this recipe). They work great for regular muffins, too. Pro tip: pop the muffin tins on a baking sheet before filling so they don’t bend and spill when transferring to the oven.
Lodge Pan: Please meet my new favorite pan. I love it so much! It’s perfect for one-pot dishes, and I’ve been using it nonstop. It also can go from stove-to-oven, which saves on cleanup for recipes that normally call for transferring contents to a baking dish. Can’t recommend this pan enough!
Mini Tongs: These mini tongs are so handy! We use them for dishing up toppings like shredded cheese, lettuce, etc. They are great for so many things where bigger tongs would be too unwieldy. Comes in a set of two!
White Platters: Love, love, love these white platters! They are shallow, but they still have a scooped edge to prevent food from spilling over. They are great for dips, salads, side dishes and so much more! Comes in a set of two.
Compact Vacuum Sealer: This small vacuum sealer is AMAZING! Among other times, I used it this summer to prep and vacuum seal a bunch of smoked pork and other food for our family reunion. It is powerful and so easy to use (and takes up way less space to store than larger vacuum sealers).
Highball glasses: These glasses are so cute and fun. We use them often when serving frozen drinks like this whipped lemonade, lava flow, or frozen hot chocolate.
Stovetop Popcorn Maker: It’s no secret we love homemade popcorn, and we have used this stovetop popcorn maker nonstop this year. (It is induction compliant and works on gas or electric stoves, too.) It makes the best popcorn! We love this Amish purple or white popcorn.
Grill Brush: Best grill brush ever. The end.
Mike’s Hot Honey: Our favorite hot honey (delicious drizzled over pizza!).
All-Time Favorite Kitchen + Home Items
My Cookbook: I’m obviously a little bit biased, but I think this cookbook would make a fantastic gift for anyone who enjoys cooking or baking. The recipes are approachable, fun and family-friendly.
Cookbook Stand: I have owned this cookbook stand for years, and it really is the best! The handy tabs keep cookbook pages open, and it’s very sturdy.
My Favorite Small Knife: Literally the best little knife ever. I use mine (ok, I have three) daily, and have gifted them to more people than I can count. I use them more often than the most expensive knives in my drawer.
Ninja Individual Blender: We have used this every day for two years (usually twice a day), and is the best little blender ever. Can’t recommend it highly enough!
Butter Dish: I have had many butter dishes over the years, and this one stands firm as my favorite. It fits one stick of butter (maybe a bit more) – it comes in a bigger size, too.
Rubbermaid Power Scrubber: This little power scrubber is so exceptional, it deserves a mention and would make a great stocking stuffer (or just buy it right now for yourself!). It digs into the corners and edges of sinks and grout like a beast.
Electric Whisk and Frother: This frother is high powered and long-lasting. We use it almost daily for hot chocolate, mixing protein powder into milk, and any small whisking job that needs a little power behind it.
Sourdough Jars: For the sourdough baker in your life, these jars are practical and pretty. I keep my sourdough starter in one enormous jug, but I use these smaller jars when I want to feed sourdough for specific recipes. I’ve gifted this set to several friends, as well! It’s available as a single jar or in a set of two.
Sherpa Lined Throw: This is one of our favorite affordable blankets! We keep it in the living room 24/7 for cozying up on the couch.
Gorilla Can Opener: Best can opener ever!
Ninja Creami Machine: We love this for making chocolate protein ice cream, and we use it for regular frozen treats, especially milkshakes!
Portable Carpet/Rug Cleaner: This little green machine is amazing! I use it on pillows, carpet spots, rugs, and furniture. It can be used in the car, too. It’s managed to get all the spots out I’ve worked on in my house!
Bread Knife: This affordable bread knife is incredible. I bought a very expensive one at the same time as this one to compare, and this $17 knife is just as good, if not better, than the $100 serrated knife. Can’t recommend it highly enough!
USA Metal Pie Plate: I think USA pans are the best pans ever. I have their bread loaf pans, muffin tins, mini muffin tins, and 9X13-inch pans, and nothing else compares, so it is no surprise that their pie plates are exceptionally stellar. Not only do they work great for, well, pie, but they are one of the best pans for this easy peasant bread (and the cheesy version!).
Rotary Cheese Grater: I use this cheese grater all the time; it’s not hard to clean – most of the pieces are dishwasher safe. I’ve found it even works on soft cheeses, especially if I don’t press hard with the insert and/or freeze the cheese for a few minutes before shredding.
Portable Fabric Steamer: I despise ironing more than I can express. Enter this portable steamer. I’ve been using it for a couple of years, and it has changed my life. Even my kids use it to iron out wrinkles quickly before school.
Double Sided Measuring Spoons: These are the best measuring spoons ever. I have two sets!
Low Profile Cake Stand: This is my favorite cake stand! I love the low profile height and the generous width of the tray. It’s perfect!
Best Kitchen Scale: After having several kitchen scales go haywire on me, I finally invested in this scale, and it has been going strong for several years now. It never glitches, it’s super accurate, and I use it daily.
Dinner/Pasta Bowls: We use these bowls all the time (for Korean beef bowls or Fajita bowls). I also use them for serving taco toppings and the like. They are the perfect size; I love them SO much.
Wüsthof Gourmet Spreader: This unique spreader is exceptional for cream cheese on bagels and really for spreading anything on bread/sandwiches, etc. Would make a great stocking stuffer!
Microwave Popcorn Maker: Not only is this microwave popcorn maker exceptionally cute, but it works amazingly well (we don’t use the option to melt the butter on top). It comes in several colors!
Ceramic 9X13-inch Dish: This lovely ceramic casserole dish has become one of my go-to baking dishes. I use it for casseroles, lasagna, cinnamon rolls and more. It bakes evenly and is lovely!
Staub Baking Dish: A bit of a splurge, this is another favorite baking dish AND it’s the one that appears on the cover of my cookbook (loaded with cinnamon rolls). It is beautiful and functional.
Chopper: I use this all the time for onions, veggies, salsa, etc. Totally worth it!
Taco Holders: I bought these taco holders for these crispy shrimp tacos because we make them all.the.time. Turns out, we use these taco holders for that recipe AND any time we make tacos. Very handy!
Little Snowie Snow Cone Machine: This snow cone machine is small in size but big in delivering great shaved ice for snow cones. The best part is you can use regular ice cubes! We’ve had this for years and use it nonstop during the summer. (It’s priced $40 lower than I’ve ever seen it before!)
Swedish Dishcloths: These are the only cloths I use in the kitchen (I wash and reuse them), and they are amazing, because they never stink. Best things ever!
DASH Multi Mini Waffle Maker: We love this waffle maker and use it weekly. It’s perfect for making and freezing waffles in individual-portions.
Crispy Chocolate Pearls: Every time I post about these crispy chocolate pearls, they sell out almost immediately! They are a) extremely delicious and b) the perfect topping for cakes, cupcakes, cookies (or just eating by the handful). Orson Gygi sells them in larger bags here.
Bread Lame: This is the best bread lame I’ve used (and I’ve used several). It comes with several razor blades, and makes slicing the top of bread dough so easy.
Large Serving Bowls: These large, shallow serving bowls are perfect for salads, fruit, pasta, bread…so many things! They are pretty and unique (you can choose different size combinations).
Electric Crepe Maker: This crepe maker is amazing! We use it all the time and have completely abandoned the skillet method. I have a how-to video here if you are skeptical (like I was!).
Meat Chopper: This thing is 100% worth it for cooking ground meat – and it’s dishwasher safe for easy cleaning.
ThermoPop: I have had this instant-read thermometer for years, and it is the best thermometer ever (I have owned MANY, so I feel like I can be trusted in this matter). I use it for meat…but also for cooking candy (it works great with a pot clip!).
The Best Liquid Measures: I have multiple of these measuring cups. They are the best! No more peering down at eye level to see the measurement. I have all the sizes of these (1-cup, 2-cup, 4-cup).
The Best Mini Muffin Tin: I wax poetic a lot about my love for USA-brand pans. The mini muffin tin is exceptional (I have two because I use them that often!). It really is the best one out there. Everything bakes evenly and nothing sticks!
Cookie/Brownie Spatula: I have two of these spatulas because they are so handy! I use them for scooping cookies off sheet pans, lifting brownies out of the pan and cooking eggs in a frying pan.
Bosch Stand Mixer: I have had a Bosch stand mixer for over 20 years, and they are incredible (and unparalleled) for bread making. They are also great for cookie dough, frosting and more. I couldn’t live without my Bosch mixer! Use code MKC20 for $20 off.
Best Whisk: This is the absolute best whisk. It is sturdy and durable and doesn’t bend out of shape AND it is the perfect size for almost everything I mix – small batches or large. It’s the whisk I reach for 99% of the time.
9-Inch Tongs: Easily one of the most oft-used kitchen tools, these tongs have stood the test of time. I’ve had mine for years! The length is perfect for every day cooking.
Bench Knife/Scraper: Every kitchen needs one of these. I’ve had this OXO one for almost 10 years. I use it for cutting, scraping (the counter after cinnamon rolls or pie crust!), portioning dough…and so much more.
Favorite Rolling Pin: My life was forever changed when I moved to a dowel-style rolling pin. I’ve used this for over 10 years…and I’ll never go back to other styles of rolling pins (there are multiple sizes available; I have the 13.4-inch one).
Large Mixing Bowl: I have had this large mixing bowl for close to ten years, and I use it all.the.time for whisking or mixing up large batches of pancakes, cake, no-knead bread dough, and more. I love it because it is wider and less deep than a lot of other large mixing bowls.
Cooling Racks: These are sold in a set of two and are my favorite cooling racks.
My Favorite Cookie Scoops: This is the only brand of cookie scoops I’ve used for years. I have the small, medium and large sizes.
Vanilla Bean Paste: I love this brand of vanilla bean paste and the small jar would make a great stocking stuffer! This has a stronger and more pure vanilla taste than other vanilla bean paste brands I’ve tried.
2-Cup Measure: You don’t realize how much you need one of these until you have one. I use it every time I bake.
Spatula Set: I am picky about silicone spatulas, and I love this brand! This set would make a perfect gift (but you can buy the spatulas individually, too). There are several color options.
XL Sheet Pan: I swear by these sheet pans! They are larger than a standard half sheet pan and fit in most standard-size ovens. They are great for baking more cookies at once or fitting several loaves of French bread onto one pan.
Rubbermaid Storage Containers: While not the most glamorous gift, these storage containers are THE BEST. I use them constantly for freezing cookies, bars, brownies, and they make great storage for refrigerated items (or pantry dry goods) as well.
Flour/Sugar Containers: I love these containers! I use one for powdered sugar and another for brown sugar. They are very sturdy (I’ve dropped them on accident and no cracking or spilling!) and fit nicely on a pantry shelf.
French Bread Pan: This pan makes baking French bread so fun! And the loaves turn out picture perfect.
Best Hand Mixer: This is the best hand mixer on the market – it is really powerful! I’ve had it for over five years, and it is still going strong (and I use it multiple times a week).
Mason Cash Earthenware Bowl: For an absolutely stunning gift, these Mason Cash bowls cannot be beat. Perfect for mixing (bread dough or other batters!) or for serving. So lovely!
Best Pastry Brush: A perfect stocking stuffer, I have been using this pastry brush for years, and it truly is the best!
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