48 Gifts for Every Type of Host

These Matisse-printed cocktail napkins are like little pieces of art, a detail your assiduous host will appreciate.

Now they can save a few bucks and make their own at home (and serve it to guests, too) with this cold-brew press that Michael Phillips, global director of education and engagement at Blue Bottle Coffee, says “lands squarely in the middle of the Venn diagram of coffee function, ease of use, and good design.”

This glass teapot from the same Japanese maker as above has a delicate, minimalist design and comes with a roomy basket strainer. This one is sized for one person.

If they always shut down your attempts to help tidy, get them a tool that is sure to ease the task. According to contributor Ashlea Halpern, the first person to tip us off to Swedish dishcloths, the reusable, super-absorbent cloths are basically a better paper towel. “I use them to do nearly everything I once did with a paper towel,” she says, including “wipe down granite countertops, stainless-steel appliances, and streak-prone cooktops.”

I gave up traditional sponges for these highly effective sparkly dish scrubbers, which are a popular gift among Korean ajummas (a.k.a. aunties). Not only are they fun to look at, they’re reusable, dry fast, and don’t get grimy or germ-y.

While board games can be a great idea for parties, it’s important to choose the right one. According to the experts we polled about the best party games, Monikers emerged as a top pick, especially for large groups, because it’s got fun graphics and is easy to learn. As Dylan Speed of Meeple Mountain explains, “Over three rounds that allow progressively fewer words — from unlimited, to one, to none (charades) — everyone will shout and laugh their way through an evening of making nonsense and new inside jokes.”

These fruit-shaped candles made from soy wax also happen to be scentless — and would look delightful among a full banquet spread of real desserts and other trifles.

They can make their own vanilla extract using these bean pods from Madagascar.

They might not let you in on their secret martini recipe, but after receiving these whimsical cocktail picks, they might be a bit more amenable to sharing a hint or two.

Queer Eye’s Antoni Porowski told us this black garlic salt is “freaking delicious,” and we’re just going to leave it at that.

Here’s a host gift that will actually come in handy while hosting. Former Vogue fashion director Tonne Goodman, who is now the magazine’s sustainability editor, first told us about these cotton cocktail napkins that conveniently come in a roll. She discovered them in Paris and has been re-ordering them ever since. “They’re the simplest solution to the tedious task of serving hors d’oeuvres,” she says, and “indispensable during the holidays.”

Goodman also told us about this 20-ounce bucket of sea salt from Maldon that would make a delightful and highly useful gift for the consummate cook. “I gave it to my brother-in-law, who is a wonderful cook, and he laughed and loved it,” she said.

They’ll surely appreciate this Marie Antoinette–esque bar from historic American soap company Caswell-Massey. The brand’s floral-scented collection is also one of our favorite gifts that give back — every purchase supports the New York Botanical Garden.

Part manifesto and part cookbook, this new book from Bronx-based culinary collective Ghetto Gastro comprises a mix of photography, interviews, and 75 mostly plant-based recipes that celebrate Black food and culture.

I use this mini wooden dustpan-and-brush set daily to clean up coffee grounds from my countertop, but it could also be used for gathering bread crumbs and other leftover food debris after a dinner party.

These brightly colored wool coasters “both absorb and evaporate moisture and thus stay in perfect condition no matter how many drinks sweat on them,” says Strategist writer Emma Wartzman.

If they’d rather not reuse plastic takeout containers for food storage, consider this set of glass food containers from Pyrex that I’ve owned for over ten years and have given as a housewarming gift multiple times.

This versatile stoneware pitcher can be used for drinks, as a vase for fresh-cute flowers, or as a kitchen-utensil holder.

This flat-bottomed wok is perfect for standard stovetops, and Taylor Erkkinen, co-owner of the Brooklyn Kitchen cooking school, considers it a favorite. Made from carbon steel, it heats and cools quickly and has a 14-inch diameter that makes it ideal for both electric and gas ranges.

Aprons from Hedley and Bennett are a chef favorite for their durability and lifetime guarantee. They also come in a range of trendy colorways and patterns, at least one of which, like this handsome midnight-blue one, will be sure to please.

This is one of the fluffiest, most comfortable bathrobes out there, according to Strategist writer Ambar Pardilla, who goes “straight from wearing it to lotioning up without needing a towel to wipe away leftover water.” We imagine it would make a fantastic après-hot-tub robe as well.

This penlike meat thermometer is app-enabled and has two sensors, one for internal temperature and one for the ambient temperature of the oven. It’s chef Tom Colicchio’s favorite meat thermometer, because according to him, he cooks “perfect meat every time” he uses it. His advice: “You can’t cook to time — you have to cook to temperature,” and this device lets you — or your host who loves to grill — do just that.

The AeroGarden is our best-in-class indoor garden kit; it’s low-maintenance and produces “a prodigious quantity of herbs,” per Strategist writer Erin Schwartz.

If they’re into houseplants, they’ll appreciate this brass watering can that looks good enough to leave out on the shelf.

This D.S. & Durga candle is one of our favorites. The scent is inspired by “rainwater in eucalyptus groves off Highway 1.”

Help them live out their 1960s Palm Beach dreams with these lettuceware plates made by Portuguese ceramics company Bordallo Pinheiro.

If they can’t stand to part with a beloved broken dish, this kintsugi kit comes with everything that’s required to repair it using the traditional Japanese art.