My Jack O’Lantern’s grin is still fresh, and yet my Instagram ads have already started overflowing with advent calendars and early-bird holiday deals for food-lovers. As an over-planner and Eater’s dedicated town crier for all things shopping-related, I’m actually very here for it. At this big age, I like to get as much done ahead of time to give the cool people in my life equally cool presents that feel thoughtful and curated. (Also, my mother has received enough “coupon books for free hugs” in her lifetime. Now, it’s time to shower her with Nancy Silverton-designed clogs and whimsical Swedish gummy candy.)
My goal, in putting together this particular gift guide, [clears throat in Ratatouille], is to find the stuff that’s worth shoppgin ahead for — the tools that will last, pantry finds that will dazzle, and (actually) aesthetic air fryers. Consider the following a lovingly curated holiday cheat-sheet to the coolest gifts for food-lovers that are sure to sell out fast.
The epic advent calendars have landed (and offer early bird deals)
Last week, we dedicated an entire Eater article to the best 2025 food- and drink-themed advent calendars, from luxurious, detailed boxes of artisanal chocolates to spice blend calendars from Penzeys and even Bonne Maman advent calendars filled with tiny jars of limited-edition preserves). Keep in mind that these stunners often sell out quickly, and that early bird shoppers can sometimes find sweet discounts, like $30 off this Onyx coffee advent calendar (the perfect gift for the bachelor uncle in your life).
For the midcentury-modern design nerds, this rare pottery re-release
Ultimate shoppy-shop Big Night has collaborated with the Russel Wright Design Center and Bauer Pottery to re-release some of Wright’s iconic MCM pieces in retro colorways. For those who are new to Wright’s design legacy, the architect and designer revolutionized American dinnerware in the 1940s (the brand was a particular favorite of Andy Warhol), creating the kinds of durable and sleek pieces that combined — to paraphrase what a tour guide at Wright’s New York estate recently told me — aspects of European flair with a whole lot of American practicality.
The entire collection released by Big Night is dreamy, but some of the pieces that keep selling out are the ergonomic pinch pots, which are perfect for serving olives and dips, and the 16-inch wide, deep “Pacific” blue serving platter.
Sure, there’s plenty of fish in the sea — but there’s more in this tinned fish gift set
Fishwife has solidified its place as the queen of the cool tinned seafood brands thanks to its ever-growing, stylishly packaged smorgasbord of ethically sourced seafood. If you really love someone who has a passion for clams and/or a dedicated tinned fish fork, consider spoiling them with Fishwife’s Ultimate Tinned Fish coffret, which includes tuna with Spanish lemon, smoked rainbow trout with red chimichurri, slow smoked mackerel with chile flakes, and seven more tinned delights.
The best caramel corn I’ve ever had
For food-lovers roadtripping on California’s Highway 1, snagging one of the coveted strudels or cheddar-chive scones from Big Sur Bakery was a must; and while the legendary, nearly 30-year-old bakery had to shutter storefront operations in 2024 after a fire, as Paolo Bicchieri reported for Eater, the team plans on “rebuilding and continuing our Big Sur legacy,” in the words of property owner Blaise Godbe Lipman. The bakery’s chef, Michelle Rizzolo, has collaborated with the new popcorn brand Cheerie Lane, a non-GMO seed operation from a fifth-generation family of Iowa farmers, to create a tin of caramel corn that fully rocked my world. Described as a “farm-to-bowl” operation on the Cheerie Lane site, it combines pecans and heritage Iowa corn with a nostalgic blend of maple, vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon, but it’s the touch of candied-orange-zest-and-cardamom that takes things to the next level. Oh, and the reusable, very Bauhaus graphic tin is a sweet holiday touch.
For the giftee with a serious sweet (and sour) tooth
If Moomins ate candy, they would snack on these darling gummies from BonBon NYC, which brings its own line of packaged Swedish candies to the States with a colorful array of flavors and shapes, from Sour Elderflower Fish to Pippi Longstocking’s Gold Coins. Its gift boxes have become super-popular, and some, like the fish collection, will likely sell out as the holidays approach.
The Bentley of toaster ovens
Japanese brand Balmuda’s steam-mode-endowed toaster oven can revive stale bread and rehydrate dry pastries to fluffy, doughy perfection in seconds. The high-tech toaster’s new Pro model offers even more temperature precision and variation, including toasting presets like Shokupan Mode, which is designed for cloud-like Japanese sandwich bread, and the latest preset, Salamander Grill Mode, a professional-grade setting for browning and searing. It’s a truly special splurge appliance that you should gift to someone you live with so that you can enjoy it, too.
The Platonic ideal of pandoro
Olivieri 1882 Pandoro Classico Originally founded in Arzignano, Italy, in 1882, Olivieri 1882’s panetonnes and pandoros always dazzle (and sell out) during the holiday season. If you pull up with one of the heritage bakery’s apricot and salted caramel panettones or the signature dramatic, powdered sugar-dusted pandoro to your in-laws’ house, it’s safe to say that you will have won the holidays.
For the home cook looking for a little pizzazz
L’Isolina’s Spaghetti Dust sells out so quickly and frequently that it has become something of a grail item for online shoppers (I speak from personal experience). This groovy, graphic tube is essentially an at-the-ready “Aglio Olio e Peperoncino blend,” as L’Isolina explains, “Just add to your drained, al dente pasta with 1/3 cup of great extra virgin olive oil, toss and serve!”
This cult-fave hot oil for your pizza nights
Rosi’s Hot Oil is one of my go-tos for giving boring pizza, eggs, and pastas some life. The oil has a little kick to it thanks to the inclusion of serrano peppers, and, well, that tin! Tattoo-worthy.
Flamingo Estate’s new jalapeño candle
The devil works hard, but Flamingo Estate’s candle angels work harder. The posh au natural Los Angeles lifestyle brand has a reputation for making limited-edition candles that smell good enough to eat (see: the prinsesstårta candle, made in collaboration with Sant Ambroeus). Its latest buzzy offering is the Highland Park Jalapeño candle; as Flamingo Estate explains, “It grinds together fresh coriander seeds, sun-warmed thyme, resinous green galbanum, and ripe jalapeños bursting with bite.” It’s already sold out on the official site, so keep your eyes open for a re-stock or make sure you scoop it elsewhere while you still can. (Another great gift idea from its arsenal that is back in stock: Pamela Anderson’s signature, secret-family-recipe pickles.)
For the smashburger aficionado
I feel like it’s fair to say that, while the smashburger craze may have peaked a year or two ago, these thin and crispy patties have permeated restaurant menus across the country; so much so, that there’s even smashburger-ready cast-iron press from Lodge.
An extra-special olive oil flight
Olive oil brands are more personality-forward than ever, and while I love my non-aesthetic jug of Pompeiian EVOO as much as my yassified Graza squeeze-tip bottles, it is truly hard to go wrong with the gift of Brightland’s glass-bottled olive and balsamic oils. Known as the Essential Capsule, this bundle brings together two different olive oils (one bold and peppery; another, smooth and grassy) and two vinegars (one, balsamic with Triple Crown blackberries; the other, a raw Champagne vinegar with a touch of orange). Several of the brand’s gift sets are already sold out, so move quick.
For the ultimate chocolate lover (or aspiring chess grandmaster)
Every once in a while, just like the kings of old, I feel the urge to crack open an emerald-colored, faux crocodile skin box to play with my little chocolate chess set. In all seriousness, this extravagant gift is the brainchild of luxury Los Angeles chocolatier Compartés, which specializes in especially creative, small-batch confections, so you know it will taste as delicious as it looks. Yes, it has a hefty $300 price tag — but we have a feeling it will sell out anyway.
Finally, a chic wine gift set
Your average wine-lover holiday gift set usually comes with a few so-so bottles of wine, and glasses that feel like an afterthought. Not the case here, folks; while this Cette wine set doesn’t come with booze (remedied easily enough), it comes with some stylish glasses by Sophie Lou Jacobsen, a wine tote by Aplat, and a postmodern glass bottle stopper by Areaware. Get one for yourself, and one for the family member with a MoMA membership.
Everything you need to make (excellent) matcha at home
Matcha? In this economy? This at-home matcha set from Dona is an elegant way to treat yourself — I mean, your giftee — to incredible matcha, sans the long lines at the newly TikTok-famous spot in your city. Open the box to reveal a sleek kit of ceremonial-grade Japanese matcha, and all of the tools needed to whip it up from the comfort of their own kitchen.
