30 Perfect Kitchen Gifts Under $50, All Tested and Approved by Our Editors

If you’re holiday shopping for “food people” but don’t want to spend oodles of money, you’ve come to the right place. As a Serious Eats editor, professional kitchen gear tester, and lifelong bargain hunter, I love finding good deals on quality stuff. I’ve also reviewed hundreds of cooking tools and gadgets. Below, you’ll find my top 30 picks for high-quality, fun kitchen gifts under $50—all picked from our tested reviews. Don’t forget a nice card! 

Kitchen Essentials

An Affordable Chef’s Knife

Mercer Culinary 8-Inch Genesis Chef's Knife

$40

$35 at Amazon View on Webstaurant Store View on Walmart

Mercer makes German-style chef’s knives that are the gold standard in culinary schools. (I learned to cook with a Mercer.) We named this eight-inch knife a winner in our review, thanks to its grippy handle and surprisingly sharp blade. It’s our editors’ favorite budget knife and would be a thoughtful gift for a budding cook.

A Colorful Cutting Board

Material The (grippy) reBoard

View on Materialkitchen.com

Material makes long-lasting plastic cutting boards. We’ve recommended its durable reBoard for years, and we were especially pleased with this redesign, which has rubber feet that keep it from slipping around. The hole in the upper corner is handy for storage and—here’s my favorite part—it comes in a few fun colors.

A Restaurant-Loved Vegetable Peeler

Kuhn Rikon Original Swiss Peeler, Pack of 3

$18

$15 at Amazon

Vegetable peelers don’t last forever, so I’m willing to bet that at least someone on your gift list has one that needs replacing. Get them a three-pack of the pro kitchen standard: Kuhn Rikon peelers. They’re comfortable to hold, razor-sharp, and affordable.

A Colorful Whisk That Won’t Scratch Cookware

Kuhn Rikon Silicone Rainbow Whisk

$18 at Amazon $22 at Sur La Table View on Kuhnrikon.com

This is the best-looking whisk we’ve tested, but it’s no slouch when it comes to performance, either. We were able to whip three quarts of cream in almost three minutes, thanks to the taut wires and comfortable round handle. And at around $30, it’s a steal.

A Safe, Efficient Knife Organizer

Knife Dock In-Drawer Knife Storage

$40

$30 at Amazon View on The Container Store

There are many ways to store knives, but I’m partial to this in-drawer organizer. It’s made from bamboo with cork storage slots. Just slide in your blade, and the knife is secure and safe. It can accommodate 12-inch chef’s knives and petite paring knives, so I feel confident suggesting it for whoever you’re shopping for.

Snug-Fitting Oven Mitts

OXO Silicone Oven Mitt

$20 at Amazon $20 at Target

Oven mitts make great gifts for cooks. (Or at least I hope they do, because I gave my mother a pair last year.) The OXO mitts are my favorite, and the pair I use at home, too. The upper portion of the mitts is covered in silicone, which helps with heat resistance and makes them grippier. And unlike so many oven mitts, these fit snugly and give you more dexterity. 

Gadgets and Fun Stuff

A Spurtle

Muldale Scottish Porridge Spurtle

$19 at Amazon

Spurtles aren’t ubiquitous in North American kitchens the way they are in Scotland, but our team is trying to change that. We want everyone to have a spurtle! A spurtle looks a bit like a cocktail muddler, but it’s wider, and the ideal shape and size for stirring, mashing, and scraping. Plus, it’s fun to say.

The Teeniest Rice Cooker

Dash Mini Rice Cooker

$34 at Amazon $25 at Target View on Home Depot

The Dash Mini Rice Cooker is compact yet powerful. It cooked white jasmine rice in half the time of other similarly sized rice cookers we tested, and it has some nice features, like a see-through lid and a Keep Warm function that didn’t scorch the rice, even after an hour of waiting. It's the best rice cooker if you cook for one or two people.

A Longtime Favorite Thermometer

Thermoworks ThermoPop 2

$47

$38 at Amazon View on Thermoworks

The ThermoPop 2 is a more affordable version of our winning instant-read thermometer, the Thermapen ONE. It’s just as accurate and almost as fast, and costs about half the price. Every cook should have an instant-read thermometer, and this is my pick for a starter option.

A Baker-Tested Cookie Press

Oxo Good Grips Cookie Press Set

$39 at Amazon $40 at Sur La Table $40 at Kohls.com

Cookie presses can be tricky to operate well, but this one makes it simple. The lever-style mechanism works smoothly, so spritz cookies and cheese straws come out evenly. It includes 12 stainless steel discs that made sharp, clean imprints in our resident baking expert's tests. 

A Rechargeable Milk Frother

Golde Superwhisk

View on Golde.co

With two speeds, this rechargeable, handheld milk frother lets you control how dense your foam gets. It’s powerful enough to make luscious cold foam, and it comes with a carrying case should you choose to travel with it. (You will choose to travel with it.)

A Salad Dressing Mixer-Dispenser

Emulstir Salad Dressing Mixer

$23

$13 at Amazon $28 at Sur La Table

Who doesn’t love a good gadget? This salad dressing mixer is also a dispenser, and it can hold up to 10 ounces of dressing, so you can make a big batch, keep it in the fridge, and re-emulsify it anytime you want to use it. 

Cookware and Bakeware

The Best Cast Iron Skillet

Lodge 10.25 Inch Cast Iron Pre-Seasoned Skillet

$25 at Amazon $25 at Target View on Webstaurant Store

Believe it: This skillet costs less than $30. It’s also the winner of our cast iron skillets review. We’ve been recommending Lodge pans for as long as we’ve been reviewing them because they are affordable and durable. This one arrives with a layer of seasoning already on it, so you can cook with it as soon as it’s unwrapped. It’s a one-time gift that’ll last a lifetime and then some.

Our Favorite Budget Wok:

Joyce Chen Carbon Steel Wok

$40

$30 at Amazon

$90

$50 at Jcpenney.com $40 at Lowe's

This wok is the best budget pick in our review, but it’s a hard worker. Once it was seasoned, it was the most nonstick wok we tested, easily releasing sticky fried eggs. The wooden handles are a nice touch. (We mean that literally: They stay cool, even when the wok is set over ripping heat.)

The Perfect Cake Pan

William Sonoma Traditionaltouch Square Cake Pan

View on Williams Sonoma

The sharp corners of this square pan created neat-looking cakes and brownies in our tests, and its rolled edges let us grab it confidently. It’s thick and hefty, so it heats evenly—no burnt edges or undercooked middles here. It also happens to be our top-rated pan and costs less than $30.

A Hardworking Saucepan from a Brand We Trust

Tramontina Covered 3-Quart Saucepan

$56 at Amazon $56 at Home Depot

$120

$77 at Kohls.com

This tri-ply saucepan performed far better than we thought it would in testing. Let that be a reminder that price isn’t always an indicator of quality! There were no hot spots when we used it to melt butter and cook rice, and the long handle stayed cool to the touch. Tramontina makes restaurant-quality pans at an affordable price, and we highly recommend this one.

A Tart Pan That Makes Perfect Crusts Every Time

Wilton Excelle Elite 9-Inch Non-Stick Tart and Quiche Pan

$19 at Amazon View on Webstaurant Store View on Walmart

Tart pans are a clever way to turn out picture-perfect tarts and quiches with minimal effort. The bottom is removable and the edges are fluted, so the crust molds into a neatly crimped shape, then easily pops out of the pan once it’s baked. This is a unique option for the baker who seemingly has it all.

Unbeatable Sheet Pans

Nordic Ware Naturals Baker's Half Sheet

$28 at Amazon $43 at Sur La Table $18 at Home Depot

These unwarpable (let’s see if that word makes it past my copy editor) sheet pans are loved by pro cooks and bakers. They’re made from thick aluminized steel that doesn’t pop or distort when exposed to extreme temperature changes, and the rolled edges are helpful when transferring them from the oven to a cooling rack. Every serious cook I know has a set or two of ‘em.

For Coffee and Tea Lovers

A Barista-Designed Coffee Mug

notNeutral Lino 10 oz Coffee Mug

$25 at Amazon View on Walmart

notNeutral designed this chic mug with the coffee pros at Intelligentsia. Its thick base keeps coffee piping hot, and the handle has a wide thumb rest. This mug may even look familiar to you, as many cafés around the country use it! Pick up one in your giftee’s favorite color, like a cheery canary yellow or indigo.

Our Favorite Tea Infuser

Fenshine Stainless Steel Tea Infuser

$10 at Amazon

This infuser features two stainless steel arms that enable it to balance stably on a mug. In our review, we noted that refilling it was more pleasant than with other infusers, because the arms extend over the sides of the mug and don’t get hot and steamy. It comes with a tight-fitting lid to keep heat and flavor in the mug.

A Unique Pour-Over Dripper

Origami Dripper

View on Slowpoursupply.co View on Stumptowncoffee.com

This elegant pour-over dripper is inspired by the Japanese art of paper folding. It’s compatible with a variety of filter types, and the 20 ceramic “folds” slow the brewing process, resulting in a more complex, bolder cup of coffee. Pair it with a stabilizing collar for the perfect duo.

Affordable Ceremonial Grade Matcha

Naoki Matcha Superior Ceremonial Blend

$25

$23 at Amazon

Naoki Matcha is made with first-harvest leaves from Uji, Kyoto. My colleague Ashlee tasted it when she reviewed matcha powders and noted its approachable flavor profile, with hints of rhubarb, Italian parsley, and arugula. You get a lot of matcha in this tin: 40 grams!

An Easy-to-Use Portable Coffee Maker

OXO Rapid Brewer

$45 at Amazon $45 at Target $45 at Oxo

I tested the OXO Rapid Brewer earlier this year and became an instant fan. I love that it can make hot or cold coffee concentrate. It works better than the Aeropress for less money. This is the gift for coffee people who like to camp or backpack.

A Chic Set of Espresso Cups

Sweese Porcelain Stackable Espresso Cups with Saucers and Stand

$22

$17 at Amazon View on Sweese.com

This set of four nesting espresso cups comes with saucers and a wire rack for tidy storage. They’re nicely weighted, and the handle is big enough to hold comfortably. They’ll fit in with almost any decor.

Gourmet Treats

The Most Delicious Flavored Olive Oil

Partanna Sicilian Orange Extra Virgin Olive Oil

$20 at Amazon View on Partannafoods.com

I talk about this orange olive oil every chance I get. It’s made by a technique known as the agrumato method, in which flavoring ingredients are crushed with the olives. In this case, those ingredients are Sicilian oranges. The result is a juicy, bright oil that’s nice in vinaigrettes and out of this world on vanilla ice cream.

A Fragrant, Flavorful Spice Set

Burlap & Barrel Spice Passport

View on Burlapandbarrel.com

Our team has sung the praises of Burlap & Barrel spices before, and if you can swing a couple extra bucks, I recommend getting the six-piece Fundamentals Set. But for about $44 less, the Spice Passport is a fun stocking stuffer. It’s a hand-illustrated “passport” that comes with eight recyclable pods, full of travel-size portions of Burlap & Barrel’s best-selling spices. 

An Iconic Cocktail Garnish

Luxardo Original Maraschino Cherries

$24

$23 at Amazon View on Williams Sonoma View on Supermarketitaly.com

For the Old Fashioned connoisseur, only the best maraschino cherries will do. That’s Luxardo. These cherries are plump, sweet, and naturally deep red, and a perennial favorite among the cocktail crowd.

Colorful Chocolate Treats

Koho Explorer Pink 12-Piece Assorted Bon Bons

View on Kohochocolates.com

The Koho Explorer bonbons are as much a feast for the eyes as they are a delectable sweet treat, with flavors inspired by the founder’s home in Hawaii. The macadamia blossom honey caramel is an especially transportive bite. This is a wonderful box for fans of the fruit-and-chocolate combination. 

A Fancy Chocolate Bar

Compartés Salted Pistachio Chocolate Bar

View on Compartes.com View on Bostongeneralstore.com View on Bespokebarla.com

This chocolate bar is packaged like gift wrap, and it’s just as pretty inside. It’s studded with big flakes of salt and roasted pistachios, and the 73% dark chocolate is melt-in-your-mouth smooth. I named it one of my six favorites when I reviewed chocolate bars earlier this year

An Iconic Nonalcoholic Drink

Ghia Nonalcoholic Apéritif

$38

$31 at Amazon View on Drinkghia.com View on Thenewbar.com

Ghia is an “it girl” in the world of NA drinks. It was one of the first nonalcoholic apéritifs to hit the market, and it’s my favorite. The original formula is meant to be diluted—sparkling or tonic water is nice—and has a complex flavor profile with notes of citrus, ginger, and garden herbs.

Why We’re the Experts

• Rochelle Bilow is an editor at Serious Eats. Previously, she worked as a restaurant cook, a baker, and the social media manager at Bon Appétit.
• Rochelle has been reviewing kitchen equipment for five years and has reviewed hundreds of products.