Eater’s under-$25 holiday gift guide is, unabashedly, one of my favorites to curate during gift guide season — both as a shopping writer and a writer who lives, laughs, loves to shop. I live for the thrill of a thrifty find; that rush of finding the perfect gift that somehow comes in way under budget is a sensation I first experienced while thrifting with my mom as a kid, when I was taught to sniff out authentic English ironstone bowls like an Antiques Roadshow bloodhound. I have been John Wick-training for this moment.

The best gifts under $25 for the true food freaks in your life (including yourself) should speak to their specific culinary obsessions, tastebuds, and cult-fave restaurants. Keep an eye out for those limited-edition holiday gifts that are going to sell out soon, and, when you see a potential present, ask yourself: does it inspire whimsy? Why should I settle for a toothpick dispenser that isn’t shaped like a bird? Move those mugs and snacks from heritage and indie brands to the front of the line, and maybe even click add-to-cart twice so that you, too, can experience the magic of Spaghetti Dust.

Whether you’re looking for a White Elephant present or an offering to impress your in-laws, let’s shop for the best food- and drink-related gifts under $25.

This cult-fave tube of seasoning for spaghetti aglio olio e peperoncino

The wonder elicited from this traveling tube of “Spaghetti Dust” — aka ready-to-sprinkle dried garlic, Calabrian chile flakes, parsley, and sea salt — with its groovy graphics and gift-ready packaging, makes it one of the coolest food-themed presents that’s sure to sell out this holiday season. Just add olive oil and al dente pasta, and you’re ready to eat a delicious meal.

A Le Creuset stoneware mug for Mom’s collection

There’s something so comforting about a stoneware mug — holding one makes me feel instantly more cozy and learned, like a Nancy Meyers character rediscovering joy in an English countryside cottage. The ceramic material makes stoneware a great insulator when it comes to heat retention (without burning your hands), and this rustic, 12-ounce sipper from heritage brandLe Creuset will forever be in style.

For the Kewpie mayo devotee

Your giftee has all the deep-cut Kewpie mayonnaise flavors. They might even own the Kewpie cookbook. Now, give them the gift of a Kewpie mayo ornament to solidify their fealty to the Japanese mayo brand.

Make Phoenicia Diner’s buttermilk pancakes at home

I have a theory that every New Yorker City-dweller’s situationship must pass the “Upstate test”: the inevitable moment when you do (or don’t) get into your feelings under a Louise Bourgeois spider at DIA Beacon, or gush about them over pancakes at the iconic Phoenicia Diner (yes, the same place where they filmed Severance scenes). This picturesque Catskills diner’s buttermilk pancakes have earned a cult-fave following for their fluffy texture and subtly caramelized flavor (the secret ingredient: malted milk powder). Now, your beloved-ish can make the flapjacks from home with the diner’s handsomely packaged pancake mix (those cloth string ties = a classy touch).

Truffles that look like works of art

Every Topogato chocolate in this luxe curation looks like a work of art, which is exactly what you want to aim for with a holiday gift. The gold-embossed box is filled with six different truffles, and you can personalize the selection to meet your giftee’s dietary needs (including vegan, alcohol-free, and gluten-free options).

Take Eater to Paris with you

From traditional, sprawling brasseries to the incoming wave of Parisian global gastronomy, Eater has you covered for dining out in the City of Lights with The Eater Guide to Paris. Whether your giftee is planning an upcoming trip to Paris or an aspirational one, this trusty tome is filled with vetted Eater favorites for every kind of hungry traveler.

This designer toothpick dispenser packs a great party trick

As a general rule, if a toothpick dispenser is in the MoMA gift shop, it’s going to have some kind of design clout. This little feathered dispenser is a riff on the novelty bird toothpick dispensers of the 1950s, and it’s a very charming way to close out a dinner party.

Because you love making (or just eating) sushi at home

This gift is great because it’s a present (novelty! whimsy!) and a hint (do the dishes!).

“If tang yuan and peanut butter had a baby”

In the words of indie pantry brand Rooted Fare, this crunchy black sesame butter is “like if tang yuan and peanut butter had a baby.” Creamy and nutty, it’s the ideal spread for the friend with a semi-sweet tooth.

This dupe for Le Labo Santal 33 hand soap

If someone you love loves to cook, it’s likely that they also love nice kitchen hand soaps. This Method soap has been a staple by my own kitchen sink for years, because it’s a wildly affordable dupe for Le Labo’s Santal 33 hand soap, and the aluminum bottle makes it feel fancy. Just add a chocolate-colored ribbon and voila.

For the person who’s always making incredible salads

When designer Marta Cornwell invented this kale razor, she gave us the power to tame one of nature’s heartiest, most annoying versatile superfoods from the garden.

For the Wicked-obsessed kid in your life: Emerald City rock candy

A lot of blockbuster movie merchandise feels like landfill fodder these days, but this Emerald City-inspired rock candy sent my heart back to the glory days of movie-food-merch (remember those McDonald’s Happy Meal Space Jam toys?) with its blend of whimsy and genuine aesthetic appeal; it even comes with a little wooden mallet to crack open the apple flavored-candy and reveal even more pink sugar candies. https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/wicked-x-williams-sonoma-breakable/

Placemats they’ll leave out all year long

Artist Lorien Stern’s graphic home good designs bring the kind of chipper, serotonin-boosting jolts of color to the table that are welcome all year long; I also love that these garden-themed placemats can grow into a verdant collection or stand on their own as a table centerpiece with a bowl of fruit or a fancy candle.

A pasta-lover’s dream spoon rest

Weary spoons, whisks, and every other utensil under the Sun can find its throne upon this giant ceramic spoon rest shaped like ravioli. (As a perpetual splasher of sauce, the extra surface area is also appreciated.)

For the Ina to your Jeffrey

Ah, our patron saint of al fresco dining, roasted chicken, and “quarantinis”: the Barefoot Contessa herself. The handmade element of this Ina Garten ornament makes it perfect for your loved one’s shrine tree.

There was already a line outside ZM-Illennial cafe when I arrived at 10:30 a.m., a queue snaking around the building despite the drizzle. The cafe is in the Nam District of Busan, South Korea, some 15 minutes away from a sun-bathed coastline that draws tourists from all over the country. ZM-Illennial has become a major attraction in its own right, not for its coffee drinks or pastries, but for its proximity to K-Pop royalty: The cafe is owned and operated by Park Hyun-soo, the father of BTS member Jimin, who is affectionately known in the fandom as “Papa Park.”

Luckily, Angela, a friend and fellow member of the ARMY (the BTS fan association), had gotten there earlier and saved a spot in line. Our group is mostly 40-something professional women from Southern California, and we had both been in Seoul for the week-long BTS celebration called Festa, which brings ARMY members from all over the globe to the Korean capital. After the main event, we hopped a train to Busan to pay tribute to Jimin and fellow member Jungkook, who are both from the city (a mural is dedicated to the two at Gamcheon Culture Village).

ZM-Illennial is one of many stops on an unofficial BTS tour of Korea. In Seoul, devotees travel to band members’ former first dorm (now a cafe), the site of their company’s first headquarters (the building is covered in fan graffiti), their Gangnamdol character on K-star Road in Gagnam, the Seoul forest garden named after member j-hope, and the Hybe skyscraper in the Yongsan district, which is the current headquarters for the both the band and the company built around it. There are sites around the rest of the country too, including member hometowns, Japanese restaurant Ossu Seiromushi co-owned by member Jin and his brother, Café Far Ben owned by the sister of BTS’s leader RM, and the filming location of travel documentary In the Soop in Gangwon Province.

ZM-illennial is a particularly great stop along this route: It feels like a museum, a pop star’s closet, and a pilgrimage site all rolled into one. The first thing we noticed when we finally got through the line was a long table covered with flowers, banners, trinkets, and notes dedicated to BTS or Jimin. Though there are other decorations, most of the decor is dedicated to Jimin, like a shelf holding a row of hats he’s worn, sandwiched between fan-made drawings, or artist Lee.K’s portrait of Jimin that was displayed at the 2022 Focus Art Fair in Paris at the Louvre Carrousel. The space was crowded, with groups of ARMY clustered around tables and sofas throughout the cafe, like delegates from a mini United Nations.

The long menu includes elaborate French-style patisseries, cakes, coffee, cold brew, iced teas, yogurt, and even lemonade dyed BTS purple. A bin of salt butter bread across from the main counter was almost empty, but I snapped one up at Angela’s request. When my order was ready, I was surprised to see that the person who placed the iced tea on my tray was Papa Park himself. He’s become well-known for hugging visitors and even signing items. We watched from our table as he graciously accepted gifts thrust at him by a group of enthusiastic Brazilian fans, before making it clear that he didn’t want to be in any photos.

Despite the merch wall, Park doesn’t seem too invested in exploiting his son’s cult status. The cafe’s website seems defunct, its Instagram is sparsely updated, and an email address isn’t readily available. When I called, Park politely declined a request for a statement, and he was always too busy serving customers and running the shop to talk during my visit.

Nina, a BTS fan from Lyon, France, did have time to talk. She had come to the cafe with a fellow ARMY member from Serbia. The two had become friends online and were meeting at ZM-Illennial for the first time.

“I enjoyed the desserts,” Nina, a pâtisseur herself, told me. “I love discovering new things about Korea. But with all the BTS related stuff, it’s especially cool. Taehyung is my favorite, but I support all of them.” She admitted she doesn’t listen to any other K-pop.

Over the course of my stay, I also talked to Tonia (a software engineer), her bestie Tammey (a police officer from New York), and Philip and Hilary (an older Australian couple), all there because of BTS. I watched as a Filipino ARMY member photographed a pair of Jimin bobbleheads.

To locals, ZM-illennial is a place to relax, to take a drawing class, or engage with their neighbors. But as I left, watching a group of friends pile out of their rideshare as I got into mine, the cafe seemed like the center of a much broader community. Fans come to feel closer to our favorite artists, sure, and to celebrate our shared passion. But more importantly, visiting ZM-Illennial brings us closer to each other.

Additional photo illustration credits: Christine Terrisse