For our 2025 holiday gift guide, we’re focusing on the kitchen tools and Italian food gifts that we love to share with our friends and family. Whether you’re looking for something to impress, small stocking stuffers or simply the perfect gift for food lovers and cooks, we have a fantastic selection of gift ideas to share with you.
Disclaimer: The products featured are independently selected by us. However, when you buy something through our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission. This comes at no extra cost to you and helps support the content we create. Read our full disclosure policy here.
Edible Gifts
There are lots of delicious presents you can give guests that involve eating and drinking. Whether you’ve sourced a bottle of wine you know they’ll love or top quality Italian pasta so that they can recreate a dish enjoyed on their travels, we love giving edible gifts. Here are some of our top choices:
- Italian olive oil is world-renowned for its excellent quality and flavor. Perfect for adding the finishing touch to all sorts of dishes, make sure to look at the label to know you are getting the best version. This Sicilian extra virgin olive oil makes a lovely gift; complete with a gift box.
- If you see that dried pasta has been bronze-drawn, this is always a sign that it will be good. This selection box of different pasta shapes made in Torre Annunziata near Naples is a wonderful way to try the various options available.
- Italian coffee is always a welcome gift, bringing a richness and depth of flavor in every cup. This Lavazza Oro ground coffee is a popular option here in Italy so is sure to be well-received by fellow coffee addicts – the grind is suitable for drip coffee as well as stovetop espresso pots and espresso machines.
- It wouldn’t be Christmas in Italy without some panettone! The sweet, enriched bread filled with candied fruit has become a holiday staple, but quality can vary a lot. We can personally vouch for the quality of this particular panettone, plus it comes in a stunning tin.
- Another kitchen staple for us is balsamic vinegar. Bottled at various ages, you can use each version in a different way. This introductory set from one of the main producers in Modena has three bottles of varying ages.
Kitchen Tools & Equipment
For something a little more practical, you cannot go wrong with items for the kitchen or dining experience. In our experience, giving our friends or family something useful but specific to their food and drink preferences is a great way to choose gifts – here are some ideas:
- If your recipient is really into cooking Italian food, a fun gift is a pasta machine. Making the whole process much easier than rolling out dough by hand, this pasta machine is the ideal place to start. Suitable for making lasagna sheets and fettucine, you can add on optional accessories for more types of pasta too.
- Truffles are a precious treat to be savored, so if you’re looking for a gift for someone who enjoys these special funghi, why not get them a dedicated truffle shaver? These simple kitchen tools create super-thin truffle shavings to top a risotto or pasta dish.
- While a good bottle is always appreciated, a strong corkscrew is perhaps a better gift for wine lovers. One like this will allow you to handle any type of cork with confidence.
- Another fun kitchen tool to gift is a knife specifically for Parmigiano Reggiano. These are designed to pierce the rind and then carve out the rich cheese inside, so make a fantastic present for anyone who is obsessed with cheese as us!
- For a truly Italian experience, you need to start making your morning espresso in a moka pot on the stove. Bialetti makes the classic Italian pots in all sorts of sizes and colors, but this is our go-to option. Why not combine one with the ground coffee above for the perfect combination?
Italy-Themed Gifts
Unsurprisingly, one of our favorite gift themes is always Italy. Brightly colored ceramics from Sicily, locally-made liqueurs from Veneto or handmade leather pieces from Florence are always well-received. While these require you to have recently traveled to Italy, here are some ideas for gifts you can share without needing to book an airplane ticket:
- A beautiful coffee table book is a lovely present to share with someone special. This one is absolutely stunning, filled with images of Italian landscapes from north to south.
- One of the best ways to enjoy Italy while you cannot visit is on film. Classic movies like Roman Holiday or La Dolce Vita capture a moment in time when Italian cinema was at its peak, and more recent releases like A Talented Mr Ripley or Under The Tuscan Sun were filmed on location, taking you back to sun-filled days.
If Italy is on your wishlist, don’t forget that you can also gift our Italian experiences. Whether you want to learn how to make Neapolitan pizza, hop around the islands in the Venetian lagoon or explore the busy markets of Palermo in Sicily, we have a wide range of different tours to make your next trip to Italy extra special.
