21 Great Gift Ideas Under $50

The unassuming, inexpensive Hamilton Beach 12-cup Programmable 49465R might be easy to miss, but it can brew a mean cup of joe at a fantastic price. It comes in a basic black plastic finish and has all the essentials. It’s programmable, as its name says, and has auto-shutoff—and offers solid brewing performance, making a fresh pot in just 10 minutes. One of the lowest-priced drip makers near the top of our ratings, this simple model will get the job done.

For more options: Best Drip Coffee Makers

This Amazon Basics kettle is made of stainless steel, and it’s one of the least expensive electric kettles in our tests. It’s small, though, holding just 4 cups of water—the least of the kettles we test. It’s among the fastest to bring our testing standard of 4 cups of water to a boil, clocking in at just under 4 minutes, an above-average result in our time-to-boil test. But this kettle is a little harder to clean than some of the other models we tested. The warranty lasts one year.

For more options: Best Electric Kettles

Lodge has been making cast-iron frying pans in its Tennessee foundry since 1896. It’s one of the few surviving iconic American brands, and we see why. This 12-inch Lodge cast-iron pan is top-notch at browning scallops, and it’s excellent at searing a steak. Baking is only so-so, though. Heating evenness is also mediocre. It weighs 7.8 pounds, which is about average.

For more options: Best Cast-Iron Frying Pans

For far less money than most of the competition, this Chefman waffle maker churns out evenly browned waffles. It does well in CR’s tests for color range, meaning there’s a remarkable difference between waffles made on the darkest setting (brown and crispy) and the lightest setting (light and fluffy). It has an indicator light to let you know when the waffles are ready, the option to store it vertically to save space, and a batter cup for precise portioning. But the handle and latch get uncomfortably warm during cooking, despite the “cool touch” claims, so you may want to use an oven mitt when opening and closing the lid.

For more options: Best Waffle Makers

Attractive, budget-friendly, and high-performing pretty much sums up the Beautiful by Drew Barrymore 19039 two-slice toaster. This lever-activated model excels at every toaster test we put it through, heating single slices and full batches to golden-brown perfection in very little time. Plus, it makes an audible beep to let you know when it’s done. It has seven browning shades and a separate setting for gluten-free bread.

For more options: Best Toasters Under $50

The Dash Express Tasti Crisp air fryer is quiet while cooking and easy to clean. But it lacks digital controls, so it’s not quite as easy to use as the digitized Dash Tasti-Crisp DCAF260. Like its sibling, this model’s capacity is 1.9 quarts, less than the claimed capacity of 2.6 quarts. It comes with a two-year warranty, longer than most of the models we’ve tested.

For more options: Best Air Fryers

The Cuisinart Mini Prep Plus DLC-2A is a 3-cup food chopper that combines great value with solid performance. In our tests, it’s particularly adept at chopping almonds and onions, and grating Parmesan cheese, though other choppers are better at puréeing. This model is ideal if you have limited counter space; it takes up as much as a postcard.

For more options: Best Food Processors and Choppers

Give the gift of cool, sweet dreams. The Weekender Gel pillow has a breathable gel-infused memory foam insert surrounded by a removable quilt-patterned machine-washable cover. CR testers found this combo makes for excellent breathability. It also has pretty good side support, and thanks to its best-in-class resilience, it’s not easily flattened. Back sleepers won’t find great support, but it shouldn’t take away from a good night’s sleep for side sleepers. 

For more options: Best Pillows

If your loved one has yet to go electric on his dental game, now’s the time. The Gleem rechargeable toothbrush is a great value (it comes in well under $20), does a nice cleaning job, and has above-average battery life. It features two cleaning speeds but stays quiet thanks to a sonic motor that our testers confirm does wonders to minimize noise.

For more options: Best Electric Toothbrushes

For the price, these earphones deliver impressive sound quality, beating some competitors that cost more than three times as much. The JBuds Air have an advertised 3.5-hour battery life and come with a carrying case that will recharge the earphones for an additional two cycles. Other features include support for various digital assistants, three switchable EQ modes to change the tonal balance of the sound, and, according to JLab, water-resistance. (We don’t test that feature.)

For more options: Best True Wireless Earphones

The Anker Nano is particularly pint-sized, at just 3.6 ounces. It receives solid marks for charging speed, both when it’s charging a device and when it’s being recharged at the wall. It features two USB-C ports, including a foldable male USB-C port that allows you to plug directly into your phone—no connecting cable is needed. The Anker Nano only has enough capacity to fully charge an average smartphone from zero battery about once, or to top it off a few times—so this wouldn’t be the charger to take on a days-long trip. However, it does have handy LED lights that indicate its battery status, so you know when it’s time to plug it back into an outlet.

The sphere-shaped Dot has been revamped with new speaker drivers and electronics that promise improved sound. Despite its small size and low price, the Dot offers the same smart speaker functionality as its far more expensive brethren. It can also serve as an inexpensive way to introduce smart speaker functionality throughout your home in an Alexa-based multiroom system. You can even pair an Echo to a Bluetooth speaker you already own to lend that one smart speaker functionality. The Dot provides an inexpensive way to test the smart speaker waters, and the price makes it a reasonable gift even if you’re on a budget.