The Best Kitchen Appliance Gifts for Home Cooks and New Homeowners

There comes a time in every adult’s life where a nice countertop appliance makes it onto their gift wishlist. Whether your giftee is a new homeowner or just someone looking to upgrade their routine, there’s a kitchen gadget that can help their day run smoother. When it comes to gifting appliances, you can make their day even better if you give them a premium product they might not otherwise buy for themselves. From the best air fryer toaster ovens to splurge-worthy dual coffee makers, we’ve rounded up some of the best small appliances for gifting.

This is our top pick for the best air fryer with smart features. Maybe you’re trying to convert your giftee to the air fryer fan club or maybe they have an old one that needs replacing—either way this is a fabulous gift option. It has a spacious 6.8-quart capacity, 12 cooking functions, and it can be controlled and monitored via an app or voice controls. Best of all, the fryer basket is dishwasher-safe (which is not always a given, and it makes cleanup so much easier). 

What our tester says: “I made french fries, chicken nuggets, chicken wings, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, chicken breasts, and a whole chicken. I was so impressed with the results that I also used it to reheat wings and pizza, cook homemade meatballs, and heat up other frozen snacks that I regularly have in my personal stockpile. And five dozen meatballs for a party? This Cosori cooked them all in three batches in just 30 minutes.”—Beth Cranston, Product Reviews tester and writer 

This Cuisinart model is the best air fryer toaster oven we tested. It’s a cooking powerhouse in a relatively compact package, offering 9 cooking settings that include air fry, proof, dehydrate, bagel, bake broil, reheat, keep warm, and toast. The interior fits six slices of toast comfortably and each slice came out evenly golden brown in our testing. We also cooked chicken wings, pizza, fries, onion rings, muffins, and cookies, plus we used it to proof bread dough, all of which turned out beautifully in this countertop oven. 

Convenient and quick, without taking up too much counter space, the Keurig K-Compact Coffee Maker is the perfect gift for anyone trying to cut back on their coffee shop spending. It reliably brews a nice and hot cup of joe in under a minute at the press of a button, which is why we think it’s one of the best single-serve coffee makers. 

What our tester says: “What the Keurig K-Compact lacks in size, it makes up for in speed. Brewing a cup is simple: As with other Keurig coffee makers I’ve used, all I had to do was press the On button, lift the handle to open the top, and place a K-cup in the pod holder. Pushing the handle back down pierces the top and bottom of the K-cup and signals the machine to start brewing.”—Glenda Taylor, Product Reviews tester and writer 

Read our full review: Keurig K-Compact Coffee Maker

The giftee who really loves coffee probably values versatility over compactness. In that case, gift them the best dual coffee maker, according to our testing. This nifty machine has a 12-cup coffee maker on one side, a single-serve brewer on the other, and a steam wand for frothing milk, enabling the coffee lover in your life to make cafe-style drinks at home. 

What our tester says: “You’d be hard pressed to find a multifunction coffee maker that can do as much as the Cuisinart can. It brews 12 cups of coffee, two different sizes of espresso, works with K-Cups and Nespresso pods, and can froth milk for cappuccinos and lattes to boot. What’s more, it manages to perform all of those functions well.”—Tony Carrick, Product Reviews tester and writer 

Read our full review: Cuisinart Coffee Center 4-in-1 Barista Bar

The Ninja BL660 Professional Blender is reasonably priced, made by a reputable brand, and is flush with rave reviews. It has over 100,000 reviews on Amazon, the majority of which are positive. We’ve tested it too, and it does its job well, actually creating a smooth result unlike some other blenders. It can be used for food processing and has the option to connect to a pitcher or single-serve blending cups (both included). 

What our tester says: “The Ninja produces a smooth puree comparable to those you might buy at the local overpriced juice shop. It even makes short work of ice, frozen berries, and harder fruits like pineapple and apple.”—Tony Carrick, Product Reviews tester and writer 

Read our full review: Ninja BL660 Professional Blender

The Ooni Volt 2 Electric Pizza Oven lets your giftee make restaurant-quality pizzas in the comfort of their own kitchen. Unlike some pizza ovens, this is an electric model that can be used indoors, perfect for cooking pizzas in all seasons. We tested the Ooni Volt and were impressed with its consistent performance churning out pies during lengthy pizza nights. This updated model is highly-rated and a great gift for the home chef who loves hosting casual get-togethers. 

The busy bee who always lets their coffee or tea go cold will appreciate having the best mug warmer on their countertop. It’s feature-filled, offering all-day heat when the mug is on the coaster, but even better, the mug itself has a warming function to keep drinks hot for up to 90 minutes. Users can also set their ideal temperature and control it through a smartphone app. 

What our tester says: “This mug is certainly more expensive than a typical coffee cup, but now that I’ve used it for years, I can say with confidence that with the Ember 2, you get what you pay for. The transparency of temperature and ability to dial in your precise preference for a drink you enjoy every morning makes this mug worth the price tag.”—Lizzy Briskin, Product Reviews tester and writer

This breakfast sandwich maker is affordable and a crowd pleaser. It’s compact, so it’s easy to fit in a cupboard, but when your giftee has a hankering for a breakfast sandwich, it can make the whole thing for them in one go. Breakfast can be ready in less than 5 minutes in this maker and all removable parts are dishwasher-safe, so it’s ideal for busy households. 

The Cuisinart Griddler Five is a wonderfully versatile countertop appliance that your giftee can use as a grill, griddle, half grill or griddle, contact grill, or panini press. A high-temperature sear function makes it a good tool for cooking meat, without needing to turn on the main stove, and of course it’s a great grill/griddle for sandwiches and breakfast foods too. The plates are removable, reversible, and dishwasher-safe for convenience cleaning. 

The person on your list who loves homemade snacks will appreciate this hot air popcorn popper. It pops popcorn with hot air and no oil, so it’s a healthier and low-effort cooking method, and then they can dress up their kernels with any salty or sweet flavorings they love. 

Made by famous cookware brand All-Clad, this is one of the best slow cookers for home chefs. It has four preset modes, including a keep warm mode that keeps food hot for up to six hours. The insert is made of cast aluminum so it can be used on the cooktop or in the oven for more recipe flexibility.

This sparkling water and soda maker can carbonate any drink, so your giftee can create sparkling water, juice, wine, cocktails, or even fizz up a flat soda or beer. It does one job and does it well, packaged in a small appliance with very simple one-button operation. 

The Ninja Swirl is the gift for the ice cream and soft serve fanatic in your life. It makes hard- and soft-serve ice cream, sorbets, fruit whips, and milkshakes that are totally personalizable, ideal for year-round cold treat cravings.

What our tester says: “The ice cream I made with the Swirl, particularly the recipes using a full-fat base or custard, were as tasty and creamy as what you’d get at a high-end parlor. This is a fun way to upgrade your dessert game and make your own custom flavors. The Swirl would also make a great gift for a birthday, graduation, housewarming, or a wedding for a couple with a sweet tooth.”—Lizzy Briskin, Product Reviews tester and writer 

Read our full review: Ninja Swirl

Whether for the frequent host or just a household that loves cold drinks, the GE Profile Opal 2.0 Nugget Ice Maker can make and dispense a whole lot of ice in a day. It can produce its first batch of ice in only 10 minutes and make up to 38 pounds of ice per day. It makes nugget ice, a favorite amongst many for drinks and for crunching on. 

What our tester says: “This ice maker has been a game changer for my family. When our built-in ice maker cannot keep up with constant smoothies, water jug refills, and iced coffee needs, the GE Profile Opal 2.0 steps in. The ice machine makes consistently great ice at a fast rate.”—Stephanie Cronk, Product Reviews tester and writer

Fresh herbs and greens are a snip away with the AeroGarden Bounty Basic, which lets your recipient grow plants right on their kitchen counter. It’s one of the best hydroponic systems that sets users up with everything they need for growing, right out of the box. 

What our tester says: “Despite the width of the system being a bit short for my preferences, after I figured out how to work around this issue, the AeroGarden Bounty earned one of the best overall spots for the number of plants it grows, its reasonable price, its tall grow height, and for being an inclusive kit that makes hydroponics simple.” —Jenn Ryan, Product Reviews tester and writer

More Gifts for Home Cooks

• Anova Culinary Precision Vacuum Sealer Pro: Those who use their deep freezer often and those who like to experiment with sous vide at home will get good use of this vacuum sealer. 
• KitchenAid Artisan Series Stand Mixer: A KitchenAid Stand Mixer is a premium and classic gift that any serious home baker will love. 
• Braun MultiQuick 7 3-in-1 Immersion Blender: This highly-rated immersion blender is versatile and includes a chopper, whisk, and beaker for more functions in one tool. 
• Breville Milk Café Frother: The café experience comes home with this luxury milk frother, which creates silky and rich hot drinks, and looks lavish while doing so. 
• CucinaPro Griddle and Crepe Maker: Savory or sweet and at brunch or for dinner, this griddle and crepe maker makes it easier to make nicely-cooked crepes.
• Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus Food Processor: Ideal for weeknight or single-serve meals, this mini 24-ounce food processor makes quick work of chopping.
• Vego Kitchen Composter: The home cook and gardener will appreciate that this countertop composter is a place where their hobbies can intersect. 
• Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker: It’s surprisingly affordable for home chefs to get into sous vide cooking with this highly-rated tool.
• Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker: Anyone serious about their rice knows the power of a good rice cooker; this is a premium unit for the person who wants consistently fluffy and delicious rice. 
• Ninja Foodi Smart XL Grill: One of our picks for the best smokeless indoor grills, this Ninja grill can bring favorite summer grilling recipes indoors for all seasons.

 

The Best Holiday Gifts for 2025

Whether you’re shopping for a new homeowner or a serious hobbyist, we’ve got a gift idea for you.

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