Iron — the traditional sixth-anniversary gift material — might have more in common with your marriage than you think. The same way iron is forged under superhigh temperatures, your bond has likely been strengthened by high-pressure situations (like when you first moved in together and discovered your vastly different definitions of a clean bathroom). And both are quite durable. However, iron isn’t necessarily the easiest thing to give as a gift. To help you out, we’ve rounded up the best iron (or iron-related) products we’ve written about over the years that would make great gifts for your wife or husband.
Since cast iron is a kitchen staple for its ability to conduct heat and easily go from stovetop to oven, you’ll find lots of cookware on this list, but there are plenty of other options — like iron plant stands and kettlebells — if you and your spouse are more of the Seamless type. If you’re not shopping for someone at the six-year mark yet, we can still help you. We also have guides for first-, second-, third-, fourth-, and fifth-anniversary gifts; as well as ones for seventh-, eighth-, 10th-, 20th-, 25th-, and 50th-anniversaries if you’re looking ahead.
For the couple with a tiny kitchen
Perfectly sized for dinner-for-two, this mini Dutch oven is Strategist editor Maxine Builder’s “go-to gadget” for cooking rice, kimchi stew, braised chicken thighs, and more.
For the couple that loves to set the mood
Areaware, the maker of some of our favorite sculptural candles, also makes neat-looking candleholders. This three-in-one cast-iron style can fit a traditional taper candle — but also a tea candle or incense, simply by removing its top.
For the couple with outdoor space
This (relatively) cheap but expensive-looking table will make a patio, deck, or yard even more functional as an extra place to rest your coffee mug, wineglass, or book. In white, it also won’t clash with any patio set you might already own.
For the couple short on storage space
Besides looking cool, this iron wall ladder stores clothing, blankets, or towels if you’re lacking closet space.
For the couple just getting into cooking
If you’re starting to stock a “grown-up” kitchen, you’ll definitely want a cast iron skillet. Strategist senior writer Liza Corsillo says it’s the best thing she bought in the last decade.
For the couple with a fully stocked kitchen
Even the home cooks who have everything probably doesn’t have one of these Japanese cast iron precision cookers. Builder tried one out and was impressed by how “it can draw out flavors from essentially nothing.”
For the couple that bakes their own bread
Any serious bread baker knows the importance of a good pan to bake it in. While you can get away with baking bread in a vessel that does other things (like a Dutch oven), those who really care about their loaves will appreciate how this pan is designed for one thing: baking better bread. As Strategist newsletter editor Mia Leimkuhler explains, “The pan’s design — flat bottom, domed top — basically offers a far more efficient way of baking bread the way Tartine’s Chad Robertson does by flipping his Lodge Combo cooker upside down.”
For the couple who already owns cast-iron pots and pans
What do you buy when you already own the entire line of Lodge cast-iron pots and pans? A set of nesting cast-iron bowls that can be used for serving food or just zhuzhing up your coffee table.
For the couple whose cast-iron cookware has seen better days
This handy chainmail tool, one of our favorite gifts for home cooks, simplifies the process of cleaning cast iron — which requires scrubbing it thoroughly, but not so thoroughly that you’ll lose the built-in seasoning.
For the couple that obsesses over their plants
These planters with iron legs mix modern style with industrial design. Your cactus will look lovely in it.
For the couple that likes plants but can’t keep them alive
You might have better luck with this heartily named specimen, which we’ve been told is “extremely easy to maintain” and nearly impossible to kill.
For the tea-drinking couple
A cast-iron tea kettle to match your Dutch oven.
For the couple that prefers coffee
According to Strategist contributor (and coffee-scoop obsessive) Dinah Lenney, this handsome cast-iron coffee scoop would make an excellent gift for any coffee lover — and we agree.
For the couple that grills
Strategist contributor Leah Bhabha told us this steak-branding iron was the best gift she ever gave her boyfriend. Get one with your shared initials to impress summer barbecue guests.
For the couple that likes to stay organized
Every type-A couple needs an entryway that meets their type-A needs. This iron-shelf set is the perfect place to hang bags, umbrellas, house keys, and light jackets.
For the couple that thinks every season is spooky szn
If you think Halloween is not a holiday but a state of mind, you’ll find any number of things to do with this cast-iron “cauldron” (one of which can be filling with candy for trick-or-treaters).
For the couple that works out together
The cast-iron core gives these kettlebells their weight; the enamel coating makes them gentle on your hands.
For the couple that observes Taco Tuesday
If you make your own tortillas, you’ll definitely want this cast-iron press that reviewers say is easy to use and can work for other flatbreads like naan.
For the Francophile couple
Chef Ludo Lefebvre of Trois Mec in Los Angeles says, “I wouldn’t be surprised if every single household in France had at least one or two Le Creuset products.” He uses the terrine for slow-cooking casseroles.
For the couple that likes to color-coordinate
If you’re looking to splurge, you could always go all out and get a full set of matching enamel-coated cast-iron cookware from the status-y French brand.
For the couple with impeccable style
It’s not made of iron, but this literal iron is actually a favorite of illustrator Maira Kalman, a self-professed “big ironer.”
For the couple that hosts brunches
Amazon reviewers say this Cuisinart waffle iron is top-notch because it leaves generously sized indentations for slathering on maple syrup and butter. “This thing is so easy to use and so robust,” says one reviewer. “I’m going to die eating waffles.”
For the couple that celebrates Hanukkah
This lovely cast-iron menorah is hand-forged in Vermont and looks so nice that you could put it out on a mantel year-round.
For the couple that’s always redecorating
With a marble top, brass-finished iron legs, and a wooden lower shelf, this part-glam, part-mid-century coffee table checks all the boxes for, as freelance writer Hélène Heath puts it, a “lovely styling opportunity.”
For the couple that’s a little bit retro
Fondue pots were a registry staple of the Mad Men era, but we think it’d still be fun to break one out to nosh on melted cheese (or chocolate) and dippables with a group of friends.
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