35 Food, Drink & Entertainment Gifts for Under $50
You can do better than a Starbucks gift card. You can. We are speaking directly to you, the person searching on Google for “cheap gift ideas”. A budget-friendly Christmas gift doesn’t have to mean a peppermint bath bomb or scented candle (which, we would argue, is an extremely personal gift that you should only give to someone you share intimacy with olfactory). This holiday season, give your loved one the gift of not having to drop off this chenille scarf at the nearest Goodwill store. We will help you! Below you’ll find unique gift ideas for the foodie on your shopping list, none of which cost more than $50. Many even cost less than $20. There’s a sleek, minimalist olive oil carafe, psychedelic coasters, and pretty but practical wine bottle stoppers that make great Christmas gifts. Here is our guide to gifts under $50.
Some favorites…
Iconic Italian architect and designer Gaetano Pesce has works in the permanent collections of MoMA, the Center Pompidou, the Met, and, soon, your Uncle Marcos’ living room. These hand-cast resin coasters, designed by Pesce in the ’90s and available in a range of color options, look like melted Jolly Ranchers.
These red-rimmed coffee mugs have a classic restaurant look, but they also manage to feel modern. Buy these for the recent college graduate or someone on your list who is setting up their first home.
Forget tequila shots. These molds will allow the baker on your list to make Dominique Ansel’s famous cookie shots. Hopefully they’ll jump right in and let you reap the benefits of your gift in the form of a warm cookie topped with chocolate and filled with milk.
The problem with dish towels, especially if you live in a humid climate, is that they stink up the entire kitchen after a week of use. Not so with this kitchen towel, made from cotton and rayon infused with binchotan, a type of charcoal that has antibacterial and odor-absorbing properties.
Is this the trendiest gift of the year? Very probably. Your very online friends have probably already been lured into buying this mug (or are drawing a hard line and opting out of this trend cycle), but we think it would make a great gift for your mom. Tell her she has the internet’s favorite hydration container. She’ll love it, especially in a bright, fun color or in the pastel shades favored by beautiful influencers.
Speaking of kitchen gadgets that have made the rounds on TikTok, this Dash waffle maker produces cute mini waffles and naturally had a viral moment. If you’re skeptical about whether a waffle maker this cheap ($13!) could actually work, this makes sense. We tested it, and while it doesn’t measure up to the GOAT All-Clad Waffle Maker, it produces handy mini waffles that roll out easily and look adorable. It’s a perfect Christmas gift.
You truly haven’t lived until you’ve had halvah from New York purveyor Seed and Mill. It’s flaky. It melts in your mouth. It’s crunchy. That’s all. Every flavor is delicious, and this sample pack will allow your loved one to try a variety: salted dark chocolate, pistachio, and coconut chocolate.
People who love to cook make more dishes – there’s just no way around it. Give the person who constantly has to do the dishes a luxurious pampering gift to soothe their hands after a rigorous scrub.
Of course, you’re on a budget this holiday season and can’t gift a full Le Creuset Dutch oven. But how about a deliciously charming mini version? This little Le Creuset is perfect for your friend who often cooks for one. With it, a solo baked egg dish on a weeknight suddenly seems extra special.
Full of warm spices like clove and ginger, this ruby-hued liqueur is a twist on sorrel, a Caribbean hibiscus drink with roots in West Africa. Founder Jackie Summers, who grew up in the culinary traditions of her Bajan grandparents, is the first black person to hold a distilling license after Prohibition, and this low-alcohol (15% ABV) labor of love ) was years in the making. . We think it’s a perfect component for a winter punch.
A bowl of fruit, but make it glamorous.
Bring some sparkle to your spice rack with these Greek thyme buds with the taste of flowery oregano. Try them in marinades, mashed over feta drizzled with olive oil, or make your own herbal tea.
Salsa machas are oil-based condiments that combine chili peppers with, often, nuts or seeds. You can count on these three varieties of Masienda (we also love its masa) to add heat, depth, and texture to everything from eggs to tamales. The guajillo, cranberry, and hazelnut variety will brighten up even the blandest holiday bird, while the eye-opening blend of arbol, nori, and sesame takes inspiration from Japan.
You can give a bottle of wine as a gift, or you can give the best gift of a bottle of wine and these silicone bottle stoppers. They have an airtight seal to keep the contents of the bottle fresh and come in a variety of colors, proving that gifts under $50 can also be both utilitarian and pretty.
Photo by Ted Cavanaugh
A good cake never goes out of style, but that doesn’t mean the classic Bundt pan couldn’t get a makeover. This geometric pattern is part disco ball and part decor, and all those corners provide plenty of pockets for pool icing.
For the cook concerned about sustainable development, these reusable food wraps made from cotton and beeswax can replace plastic film. They’re pretty enough to give as a gift to the family member who loves their single-use coffee pods and water bottles without it feeling like a pointed comment. .
We’re hard-pressed to single out any of these four vinegars as the best in the gift set, but we will say that the spicy, herbal Garden Heat variety packs a punch into a Bloody Mary. If that’s not vacation self-care, we don’t know what is.
Your friend who keeps their butter in the dairy drawer of the refrigerator has no idea that they can have softened and spreadable Kerrygold on demand. Give the gift of butter happiness with this clay pot. It’s simple, it’s pretty, it’s life-changing.
This popcorn bowl comes with an awesome attachment to strain out any unpopped kernels for your movie night snack. But its elegant shape also makes it attractive as a serving container for salads and side dishes.
Iris Hantverk employs visually impaired artisans in Sweden and Estonia to make its traditional brushes and other household items. A dough scraper is an essential tool for bakers, and this one, made from birch and stainless steel, features a hole in the handle for easy storage on a pegboard or hook.
The Salsero Spoon from Fly by Jing features a baseball-sized marble sphere that serves as the handle of a wooden spoon. Insert the spoon into the jar and the orb acts as a lid for your chili crisp (or other shelf-stable condiment). Buy just the spoon or, for nine dollars more, a set including a jar of Fly by Jing for your little sister who never had the rock cup she always wanted.
You can’t keep that three-liter can of Frantoia on your counter very well. Instead, decant your olive oil into this beautiful ribbed terracotta bottle for your aesthetic pleasure.
Who needs Netflix when you can watch your dog try to figure out how to get frozen peanut butter out of the kong? But grocery store varieties are full of sugar, salt, and additives that your dog doesn’t need. Big Spoon Wag Coconut Chia Butter contains just three high-quality ingredients: peanuts, chia seeds and coconut, which are packed with healthy proteins and fatty acids without fillers .
These minimalist Japanese ceramics will make it feel like you’re living together. $50 will get you three different sized matte black plates that can be nested together or used separately. Dishwasher.
Dreidel dreidel dreidel, I took you out of clay sugar and strawberry flavor. Even if you lose all your money at the Hanukkah party, these portable lollipops ensure you still go home with candy.
This list does not contain one but three different chili oils from different countries, so for extra credit, consider throwing them all in a tote bag with a dozen eggs. Mẹ’s Way sets itself apart from others with its use of fish sauce, which imparts a deep umami note from hot peppers and fried garlic. It is available in 8 and 16 oz jars. Get 16.
These beautiful striped kitchen towels, available in warm sunset tones or shades of blue, are woven in Ethiopia from 100% cotton. You can never have too many.
Photo by Alex Lau
This reposado is distilled by a team of women from 9 to 10 year old agaves from the highlands of Jalisco. After sitting in wood for 8 months, it is decanted into these eye-catching bottles, which will enhance the lucky gifter’s bar in more ways than one.
A luxury car with a big bow on the hood? Sure, if you like that sort of thing. High quality canned fish? It’s a thoughtful gift. Fishwife’s beautifully packaged smoked salmon, trout and tuna are the ultimate luxurious yet inexpensive Christmas gift and are delicious in pasta, on toast with fluffy scrambled eggs or eaten straight from the tin with a squeeze of lemon. Buy them individually or opt for the best-selling three-pack.
For fans of Whoppers and Maltesers, these artisan malt balls are coated in single-origin dark chocolate made from Tanzanian cocoa.
For your foodie friend (let’s say that five times fast), opt for a cozy mushroom-themed blanket.
This rechargeable waterproof speaker has a surprisingly long lifespan and offers excellent value for money in terms of sound quality, size and price. The perfect gift for your friend who always packs a picnic on the weekend and needs portable music (or for the friend who cooks in eerie silence in their kitchen).
Read more Bon Appétit gift guides:
This article was originally published in 2018 and updated in 2022 and 2023.
