Gift guide · 12 ideas
Hostess gifts
Something to hand over at the door that the host will still be using long after the leftovers are gone.
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Somebody is cooking for twelve this year, and they’ve been at it for days. A bottle of wine at the door is the usual thank-you, but it tends to disappear into the rack with the four others that arrived the same evening. These ideas last longer: a small thing for the table on the day, something for the morning after, and, for the host who has the whole family over every single year, something bigger to go in on together.
Most ideas come with our pick from one of our top lists, chosen with the person doing the hosting in mind rather than the guests. The small ones are easy to carry in alongside a pie; the bigger ones are better dropped off a week or two early, so they’re there for the day itself.
A scented candle
The stretch of dinners and drop-ins that runs up to New Year: it keeps the house smelling of the season long after the last guest has driven home.
Yankee Candle Large Jar, Balsam & Cedar (623 g)
$20–$30
Yankee’s classic large jar, with up to 150 hours of burning in it, and Balsam & Cedar smells of fir and cedar with a little citrus and vanilla underneath, with no added parabens or phthalates. Yankee began in 1969, when 16-year-old Mike Kittredge melted crayons to make a candle for his mother.
What owners say: Owners are very pleased with the scent and find a single jar keeps burning for a long time.
A closer look: Put it out for good once only a thin layer of wax is left, so the glass doesn’t overheat. A woody scent like this suits a front hall, where it’s the first thing anyone notices on the way in.
- Burns up to 150 hours
- 623 g (22 oz) jar
- No added phthalates or parabens
A French press
Coffee for the table with the pie, made by the pot instead of a cup at a time from the pod machine. It sits on the table and gets passed around with the cream.
Secura Stainless Steel French Press (1.5 L, 50 oz)
$30–$50
Secura’s double-walled press in its big size, 1.5 litres (50 oz), enough for five or six mugs: for a big household, the cottage or a weekend with guests. It’s stainless steel inside and out, with a three-layer steel filter and a spare screen to stack for a finer cup.
What owners say: Owners like the size, big enough for a crowd yet fine for a single cup, and say it makes a great pot, keeps it hot for much longer and looks good on the table.
A closer look: A half pot works fine, so it needn’t wait for guests. At 1.5 litres it’s too big for a backpack, and the cool-touch handle makes a full pot easy to pour out at the table.
- 1.5-litre steel press
- Double-walled to keep it hot
- Spare screen for finer coffee
A cocktail making kit
Instead of another bottle for the rack, the tools to mix drinks for the guests next time. Made for the host who always ends up behind the bar anyway.
MixMate 15-Piece Bartender Kit with Stand (silver)
$30–$50
Brushed stainless steel tools in a dark wood stand, with a martini shaker, a jigger, a strainer, a stirring spoon and a bottle opener among the 15 pieces, plus a 16-recipe cocktail book. Everything packs into a presentation box, and MixMate gives a two-year guarantee.
What owners say: The set looks good and every tool works as it should, owners say; the recipe book and how long it lasts get mixed reports.
A closer look: A QR code on the card in the box opens a free digital recipe booklet to go with the printed book. Each tool has its own slot in the holder, so after a party a gap shows at once if one hasn’t come back from the sink.
- 15 pieces on a stand
- Recipe book included
- Packs into a presentation box
A wireless meat thermometer
For whoever’s been up since dawn with the turkey. The probe stays in the bird, and the receiver beeps when it’s done while they sit with everyone else.
TempPro TempSync Wireless Meat Thermometer (TP20)
$30–$50
Leave the probes in a brisket or a roast and walk away: the receiver shows both temperatures and beeps when the meat reaches your target, from up to 150 m (500 ft) on TempPro’s figure. There’s no app to install and nothing to pair.
What owners say: Seeing the grill’s own temperature beside the meat’s is what owners like most, and they find it easy to use and accurate enough to trust. The range and the connection get good marks too, and so does how many kinds of cooking it handles.
A closer look: Run one probe into the meat and clip the other to the grate to watch the smoker’s own temperature, then take the receiver indoors. Pick the meat and doneness, or set your own number, and it flashes and beeps when the meat gets there.
- Wireless, with 2 probes
- Alarm when food is done
- No app or pairing needed
Heads up: TempPro says to wipe the receiver, transmitter and probes clean, so keep them out of the sink.
View on Amazon See our top 5 meat thermometers →A reed diffuser
For the guest bathroom that sees more traffic on Thanksgiving than the rest of the month put together. A small bottle on the shelf keeps it smelling fresh without a match being struck.
Airkeep Clean Linen Reed Diffuser (100 mL, 3.4 fl oz)
$20–$30
Clean linen, a fresh-breeze, clean-laundry scent, in a 100 mL (3.4 fl oz) white bottle with a minimalist look, holding eight fibre sticks and a sprig of baby’s breath. Airkeep suggests taking sticks out to soften the scent or adding them back to strengthen it, so it can be tuned to a small room.
What owners say: It smells good and lasts well, owners say, and they like the quality and the look, though they’re divided on value and on how strong the scent is.
A closer look: Give the sticks a day or two before judging the scent, since Airkeep says that’s how long they take to soak up the oil. At this size it fits a narrow bathroom shelf or the back of a vanity, where a big diffuser would crowd the space.
- 100 mL (3.4 fl oz)
- Clean linen scent
- Flower sprig in the bottle
A rechargeable milk frother
A small thank-you that still gets used every morning: foamy coffee for the adults and hot chocolate for the kids staying over.
CIRCLE JOY Rechargeable Milk Frother with Stand (black)
$10–$20
A slim rechargeable wand with a double-ring whisk that turns warm milk into dense foam in seconds, with hardly any splashing. It stands upright on its own steel stand by the coffee maker, so it’s always within reach.
What owners say: It froths well and feels solidly made, according to its owners; the battery holds up between charges, it rinses clean in seconds and the steel stand is a favourite. No common fault turns up.
A closer look: For the thickest foam, tilt the cup a little and keep the whisk near the top of warm milk. To clean it, dip the whisk in warm water and run it for a couple of seconds, then stand it back up to dry. No plug comes in the box, so it charges from a phone charger’s USB port.
- USB rechargeable
- Steel stand included
- Hardly any splashing
Electric salt and pepper grinders
A matching pair to stay out on the table all meal, beside the turkey instead of back in the kitchen. They’ll be out at every dinner after this one.
ThermoMaven Rechargeable Electric Salt and Pepper Grinder Set (110 mL, silver)
$50–$75
Stainless steel mills that look at home on the dinner table as well as by the stove, with chambers big enough for about 70 g (2.5 oz) of peppercorns before a refill. ThermoMaven says one charge lasts about a month of daily use.
What owners say: Owners rate the build and the grind, rarely need to charge it and would buy it again; they like the sleek steel and how easy it is to use.
A closer look: The parts that touch the seasoning can be washed, so let them dry fully before the salt or pepper goes back in. The two USB-C cables charge both mills at once, so the pair returns to the table together.
- Stainless steel body
- 110 mL per mill
- Charge lasts about a month
An immersion blender
Smooth gravy straight in the roasting pan and squash soup blended in the pot. It keeps earning its drawer space on ordinary weeknights too.
See options on AmazonA 4-slice waffle maker
When the house fills up with overnight guests, four waffles at a time feeds the morning-after crowd without anyone standing at the counter for an hour.
Breville Smart Waffle Pro 4-Slice (BWM640BSS)
$200–$300
Four deep square waffles at once, with four batter settings (Belgian, classic, chocolate and buttermilk) and 12 shades, and the timer works out how long each batch needs. A moat around the plates catches batter that spills over, and an A Bit More button adds time without starting again.
What owners say: Owners report that its waffles come out crisp, well browned and consistent, and that cleanup is no chore.
A closer look: Choose the batter setting first, then the shade: the LCD counts down from the moment the lid closes. The plates don’t come out, so a nylon brush lifts any stubborn batter, and Breville says to skip nonstick cooking sprays.
- Four square Belgian waffles
- 12 browning settings, 4 batters
- Moat catches spilled batter
A stovetop popcorn popper
For the family movie once the dishes are done: one big bowl to pass along the couch, popped on the stove with no bag and no microwave.
Wabash Valley Farms Whirley-Pop Stovetop Popcorn Popper (25008)
$30–$50
A crank on the lid turns a stirring arm across the bottom of the aluminum pan, so every kernel keeps moving over the burner and pops rather than scorches. There’s no motor to wear out, and as little as a teaspoon of oil gives the taste of cinema popcorn.
What owners say: Owners rave about the theatre-style popcorn and how good it tastes, and find it quick to pop and no trouble to clean; no complaint comes up often.
A closer look: Put the oil and half a cup of kernels in the pan before it goes on the burner, then turn the crank slowly until only the odd pop is left or the handle gets hard to turn; the hardwood handle and crank stay cool. Clean the pan with a paper towel, not the dishwasher; the moving parts are covered for 25 years.
- About 24 cups of popcorn
- Pops within 3 minutes
- No motor to wear out
Heads up: Its aluminum pan won’t work on an induction cooktop, and Wabash Valley Farms says to check a glass-top stove’s manual before using lightweight aluminum on it.
View on Amazon See our top 5 popcorn makers →A casserole slow cooker
The friend who hosts Friendsgiving gets invited to every potluck after it. The dish goes from counter to table, and the lid locks down for the drive.
See options on AmazonA stand mixer
The big one, for the host who has had everyone over every year and bakes every pie. A gift from the whole family, so the creaming and kneading are no longer done by hand.
See options on AmazonTips for hostess gifts
- Say it’s for them, not for tonight, as you hand it over, so nobody feels they have to open it, light it or serve it in the middle of the meal.
- Charge the frother and the salt and pepper mills before you wrap them, and put the batteries in the thermometer, so each one works the first time it’s tried.
- Bigger gifts are easiest split between siblings or the regular guests, and worth a quiet check first: an avid baker may already own a stand mixer.
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