From a cookbook to a set of brass pepper mills, these are the gifts hosts keep using long after the holidays.
Between now and New Year’s, there’s a dinner, a cocktail party or a gift swap on the calendar almost every weekend, and showing up with a bottle of wine is always welcome. The gifts a host remembers, though, are usually the ones that end up in her kitchen—the cutting board that never leaves the counter, the cookbook with flour on its pages or the olive oil that gets used on everything.
These eight gifts cover the cook, the ones who love to entertain and the host who deserves something a little extra.
Photo credit: Williams Sonoma
For the Cook
The Festive Baker, $39.95. This one is for the host who always has a pie in the oven, or the one who keeps saying she’s going to start baking. With more than 170 recipes organized by month, it’s a cookbook she’ll pull out every holiday on the calendar, and it looks good enough to leave on the counter.
Hill House x Williams Sonoma Holiday Apron, $39.95. Hosts spend most of the party in the kitchen, so an apron is a gift she’ll use the moment she opens it. The reindeer print is festive for the holidays, and the pockets come in handy when she’s juggling multiple tasks.
The Tablemates by Flamingo Estate, $105. Olive oil and balsamic vinegar are the two things a cook reaches for every day, and this set comes in a gift box with a bow, so there’s nothing left to wrap. It’s an easy one to hand over at the door, and the host who loves to cook will finish both bottles.
Brass Mills & Olive Wood Board Set, $229. Salt and pepper mills and a board are what a host reaches for all night, and this set from Cove Home looks good enough to stay out on the table. The olive wood board is the right size for a wedge of cheese or a warm loaf of bread, and the brass mills only get better the more they’re used.
Photo credit: Nicole Michalou
For the Table and the Bar
New York City Ballet Nutcracker Bar Tools, Set of 4, $128. For the host who’s mixing drinks all night, this Anthropologie exclusive keeps a strainer, a jigger, a cocktail spoon and a bottle opener together in one holder on the bar cart. The Nutcracker design makes it feel like a holiday piece rather than everyday barware, so it comes out every December.
Ice Mold/Wine Bottle Chiller, $44.95. Wine is on the table at almost every holiday dinner, and a chiller keeps the bottle cold without taking up room in the fridge. It’s a practical gift for a host who always has a bottle open.
Sensori Variety Pack, $54.99. Not everyone at the party is drinking, and this non-alcoholic sparkling pack is a thoughtful gift for the host who skips alcohol or wants something nice to offer guests who do. It comes with four flavors, from cucumber raspberry to blood orange habanero, so there’s something for everyone.
Photo credit: Roman Odintsov
The Splurge
HexClad Damascus Steel Knife Set, 7-Piece, $499. If a host is getting one big gift this year, this is the one, whether she cooks every meal of the season or is still using the knives from her first apartment. The set comes with a magnetic block that sits right on the counter, and it’s a gift she’ll use every day well past the holidays.
Hosting Gift Guide 2026:
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