Holiday shoppers are already making their lists and checking them twice. However, not everyone is doing this just to be a good gifter — they have eyes on being this year’s best gifter!
A new survey, commissioned by Avocado Green Mattress and conducted by OnePoll, finds six in 10 Americans are worried about being “out-gifted” during the holiday season. The survey of 2,000 Americans who plan to exchange holiday gifts revealed that 62 percent are trying to be the best gifter in their family.
So, who’s the biggest competition? Mom, according to 24 percent of those polled. For 59 percent, gift giving is a friendly competition in their family, and respondents rate their own skills quite highly; 20 percent think they’re the best gift giver, coming in second behind their mothers. Romantic partners finish third (13%), followed by dad, coming in fourth place with 12 percent of the vote.
Gift giving is so important that 62 percent believe finding the right gifts for their loved ones is the most stressful part of the holidays, and respondents brainstorm an average of five ideas before landing on the perfect present.
However, what if you can’t find the right gift in a big-box store and you just want to send that special someone a big box of goodies? StudyFinds has you covered! Moreover, we found the best monthly subscription food boxes, so your recipients will experience the joy of the holidays on a regular basis throughout 2023!
For our findings, we visited 10 of the leading expert websites to see which food subscriptions gifts consistently made it to the top of the “must-buy” lists this holiday season.
READ: Best Meal Kit Services For 2023: Top 5 Food Box Delivery Subscriptions Recommended By Experts
What’s better than wine and cheese?
Murray’s Cheese Classic Cheese of the Month Club
If you’re looking to please the cheese-lover in your life, Murray’s Cheese has you covered. This subscription is available on a month-to-month basis, with prices starting at $63. Murray’s calls this gift box their “Cheese 101” selection, and it consistently made it on to our experts’ lists for the best cheese gifts and the best subscription gifts overall.
“This entry-level subscription will let them try three to four cheeses a month, though at the highest level you can get a full cheese board — perfect for people who entertain regularly,” writes Jenna Milliner-Waddell from New York Magazine.
Winc Wine Club
Know someone that loves wine, but doesn’t know the first thing about wine? Winc’s monthly wine subscription will take care of their alcohol needs each month and cost you as little as $30 for four bottles — depending on the company’s current sales promotions.
“Winc delivers wine every month, but it’s easy to adjust your membership to skip automatic shipments. Although it matches you to wines that it thinks you’ll like based on your profile of tastes and preferences, you can also customize your shipment and browse Winc’s complete catalog of varietals from all over the world,” according to Connie Chen of Business Insider, who named it their best wine subscription of 2022.
Cocktail Courier Classic Cocktail Kit
If your recipient likes to drink but wine isn’t their beverage of choice, Cocktail Courier can keep their home bar fully stocked with everything they need for making mixed drinks on a weekly or monthly basis.
“Cocktail Courier makes kits based on recipes from top bartenders and sends you all the ingredients you need, including the spirits. Keep in mind that you do need your own basic equipment, like glassware and a shaker,” the team at Business Insider explains. “For the subscription, you’ll only be sent kits with your favorite spirits. There’s also an option for just the mixers and garnishes, if you prefer to use your own alcohol.”
READ: Best Tequilas for 2023: Top 5 Bottles Most Recommended By Expert Websites
Start the morning right with coffee and tea subscriptions
Atlas Coffee Club
How can you turn a simple cup of coffee into the perfect holiday gift? Try ordering different coffees from across the world! A three-month gift subscription starts at $60, but coffee-lovers can buy regular packages of their favorite roasts for even cheaper than that.
“As its name implies, Atlas Coffee Club brings you coffee from around the world, including micro-lot coffees from Tanzania, Kenya, Colombia, Peru and more. Each month, you can choose to receive 6, 12 or 24 ounces of coffee for $10, $16 or $32, respectively, and there are three roast preferences to choose from, too—light to medium, medium to dark or all roasts. You can select a biweekly or monthly delivery schedule, and you can also opt to have your beans ground or whole,” the team at Forbes writes, naming it their best overall coffee subscription.
Trade Coffee Monthly Membership
Looking to give the gift of coffee to your favorite couple? Trade Coffee made it on to The Knot’s list of the best subscription gifts for couples this holiday season. This gift is also great for picky coffee drinkers, using a quiz to match recipients with over 400 coffees in their collection.
“The company delivers ground or whole coffee beans from the nation’s top roasters right to your door. Just choose how many bags you want to gift your spouse (and, thus, you), then they’ll be emailed a digital gift card. From there, they fill out a quiz on their taste preferences and choose a delivery frequency (available in weekly increments),” Emily Rumsey from The Knot explains in their review.
READ: Best Coffee Of 2022: Top 5 Brands, According To Expert Websites
Sips By Tea Subscription
For those preferring tea over coffee, Sips By offers a subscription that lets gifters personalize the selection for just $20 a month or $48 for three months.
“Each box contains four types of teas per box—about 16 cups a month. You can choose pre-bagged teas or loose leaves and filters. Plus, each box comes with information on how to properly steep each type,” according to the team at Wired.
What about gifts for people who love to eat?
ButcherBox
Epicurious calls this big box of red meat “the best box for unapologetic carnivores.” ButcherBox delivers beef that is 100 percent grass-fed and grass-finished straight to the recipient’s door. They even have seafood options for those who enjoy surf and turf.
“If you’re looking for a subscription service for your friend or loved one who has adopted a keto or paleo diet, this is the one. Each monthly delivery contains between 8.5–11 pounds of antibiotic-free meat, which you can customize depending on dietary restrictions,” the team at Epicurious writes in their review.
Bokksu Japanese Snack Box
Is a giant box of red meat too aggressive as a holiday gift? Then how about an assortment of Japanese snacks?
“Each package is filled with food products from centuries-old family-run businesses in Japan, and a cultural magazine that will guide you through the gustatory journey,” says Monica Petrucci from Reviewed.
These gift boxes start at $60 for a one-month subscription, but shoppers can also get a three, six, or 12-month plan as well.
Raw Spice Bar Spice-of-the-Month Club
No matter what’s on the dinner table, it likely won’t taste that great without a little spice!
“Raw Spice Bar sends 2 ounces of a single spice or a spice blend such as Indian garam masala or Japanese furikake. Plus, you get chef-tested recipes to make with each one, all for just $12 a month (or $10 if you opt for the annual plan). The best part is the spices come freshly ground — unlike everything you get at the supermarket,” notes CNET’s David Watsky.
Fuego Box Hot Sauce Subscription
Know someone who can’t get enough heat with their meal? Fuego Box will send them a trio of hot sauces from around the world in four quarterly shipments. For $120, there’s bound to be something in there that’ll make them sweat!
“For anyone you know who can’t eat a meal without a shake or two of Tapatío, this is the ideal gift,” according to Epicurious.
Sources:
- Business Insider
- CNET
- Epicurious
- Forbes
- Good Housekeeping
- Harper’s BAZAAR
- New York Magazine
- Reviewed / USA Today
- The Knot
- Wired
Note: This article was not paid for nor sponsored. StudyFinds is not connected to nor partnered with any of the brands mentioned and receives no compensation for its recommendations.