The 21 Most Thoughtful Housewarming Gifts For Men (That Aren’t Tech)
They may not all admit it, but men love housewarming gifts. And let’s face it: most men NEED housewarming gifts. In our gender stereotyped world, it can be easy to overlook housewarming gifts for men and skip straight to a bottle of wine, but we promise you’ll surprise and delight any man if you get him one. This is especially true for a single guy (bachelors love their pads), but it’s equally important to get some guy-centric gifts even if he’s in a relationship.
We came up with 5 categories of gifts that we think any guy will appreciate in their home: Drink Well, Kitchen Essentials, Outdoor, Aromatherapy, and Non-kitsch Knickknacks. Below are our choices for top housewarming gifts for men 👇🏡.
Drink Well
Cocktail Shaker Set
An essential gift for any home. It’s important for entertaining, but also for stay-at-home nights when you just want to kick back and enjoy a drink with a game or movie. Craft beer had its day; being able to shake up a cocktail is a special treat and art form all to its own.
Cocktail Modifiers
The shaker set is a great start, but if the guy you’re gifting to already has one, the next best thing (aside from liquor) are going to be modifiers. These include syrups, bitters, and liqueurs. We have a handful of Liber & Co. syrups in our shop including Passionfruit (used in a Hurricane Cocktail) Ginger (used in a Moscow Mule) and Demerara (used in an Old Fashioned). If you want to go the bitters route, check out The Bitter Truth or Bittermens. Tiki Bitters would be a great addition to any home bar.
Coasters
It’s not until you have guests over that you realize the importance of having coasters. You don’t want to hand your guest a cocktail in a rocks glass with ice and have nowhere to put that glass once condensation starts to drip. As a housewarming gift, coasters are especially good as they can elevate a space from a college dorm room vibe to a more mature “I own this place and care about it” vibe. We love this Chambray Set from L.A.-based artists ATELIER SAUCIER.
Bar cart
Some people might prefer to hide their liquor and cocktail tools in cabinets, but a bar cart can double as a bar and an elegant furniture addition to your space. There are so many to choose from it could make your head spin. We would suggest starting at Wayfair and trying to match the personality of the guy you’re buying for.
Coffee Set & Coffee
If your recipient enjoys a good cup of coffee, upgrading their coffee kit is a wonderful gift. For pour-over coffee, we recommend the brand Hario for your coffee filters, glass pot, and gooseneck kettle. A simple coffee grinder like this one by Capresso also works wonders. Another great product for coffee lovers is an OXO airtight container with a pop-lid. This type of container will keep your beans fresher for longer.
If your guy already has everything coffee-related he could ever need, consider adding a chocolate bar or new brew to his housewarming gift!
Kitchen Essentials
High-quality knife
Skip the set of knives, and go for a single high-quality knife. A set of knives is overkill for most people as a single 8” knife can handle most everything in the kitchen so long as it’s well made! For a Japanese, layered Damascus style knife we recommend Miyabi. For a German knife, you can’t go wrong with a Wüsthof. A good knife is an absolute must in the kitchen, and any guy would be thrilled to receive one as a housewarming gift. A lot of guys are already into knives, so this is a safe bet that will definitely score you bonus points with your guy friends.
Hot sauce
Is how much capsaicin you can handle a sign of how manly you are? No, but that doesn’t stop some guys from being spice obsessed. Hot sauce is a great gift, as there is a TON of variety, and guys love to spice up their meals, even if it’s sometimes just for show. Not to mention, a lot of guys—especially younger ones—aren’t the best cooks, and hot sauce is a quick and easy way to upgrade any bland meal.
We sell Red Clay hot sauce in our gift shop, because we love the style and the fact that it was created by a chef. It uses Fresno chili peppers, white wine vinegar, and is aged in bourbon barrels. It’s both manly and delicious 😋. If you know your guy is a pizza lover, you can’t go wrong with Red Clay hot honey! 🍕
Local Farmer’s market
If you’re lucky enough to have a local farmers market in your city, this is a great place to find housewarming gifts for guys. You’ll have a bunch of options from foods to leather goods, and you can be sure you’re also supporting local businesses. Sounds like the win-win-win model that we at Willinglee love so much.
Cookbooks
There are probably thousands of cookbooks in existence, but there’s one we think is particularly good for guys. Jamie Oliver’s 5 Ingredients is the perfect cookbook for both beginners and those that are more experienced in the kitchen. The book is beautifully designed, and, as the name implies, every recipe calls for no more than 5 ingredients. It’s the perfect book for anyone who doesn’t have a lot of time each day to spend in the kitchen, but still wants to eat quality, healthy meals.
Outdoor
Solo stove
One of the hottest items of this year is the Solo Stove. A patented, smokeless fire pit that is perfect for any backyard get-together. It heats up quickly and has a unique ventilation system that pulls in oxygen, allowing the wood to burn hot and clean, hugely reducing the amount of smoke generated.
Seeds & Plants
Want your guy friend to impress guests in their new home? Get them some seeds to grow a flower garden. These can be planted directly into the ground or in a planter, and will certainly wow his guests once they start blooming. Alternatively, get him a potted plant (that’s not too hard to take care of) such as a rubber plant or snake plant. Every home could use at least a few plants to help with decor and fresh air!
Aromatherapy
Candles
Let’s face the fact that bachelors struggle with having a good smelling home. (Note from Alex: “we can’t help it!”) But a few good smelling candles can go a long way to balancing things out. We sell a handful of candles in our shop that we’re particularly impressed by. We pick our candles by researching the vendor and making sure we trust them and believe in what they stand for. They also need to be high-quality products with great scents.
Reed Diffuser
Candles a no-go? Reed diffusers are a wonderful gift for guys, as you can set it and forget it. You won’t get the glow ambience that comes from a candle, but you’ll get all the aromatherapy benefits. We LOVE the reed diffusers from Cornelia Home. The scents are perfect—not overpowering or chemical smelling, and will make any room feel 10x better.
Air Purifier
Another item that has become hot as of late. If a guy can’t keep a plant alive to save himself, an air purifier might be the next best housewarming gift. Similar to the reed diffuser, it’s a set it and forget option. We’ve heard wonderful things about the LEVOIT Air Purifier. Perfect for a single room and won’t break the bank.
Non-kitsch Knickknacks
To round out this list, let’s look at a handful of other ideas from our shop that we think would make great housewarming gifts for your guy friends.
Key chain
Unless your guy friend is living in some state-of-the-art smart home, chances are they use a house key. A fun keychain for their new key is a wonderful way to commemorate their move.
Deck of cards
Every guy needs one of these in the home. Skip the traditional, boring cards, and get them a deck that was designed by an artist.
Coffee table books
No one wants a living room devoid of anything but a TV to stare at. A coffee table book is a great thing to have on hand when guests come over. It’s a wonderful conversation piece and gives guests something to peruse when you step away to make that cocktail or get them a snack (like you do as a good host!).
Fake plants, Air plants
Purely for show, these bad boys will literally never die. Unless their dog eats one. They don’t offer much other than looks, but mixing them in with real plants in a PRO MOVE. Target has a wonderful selection of fake plants.
If you think he can handle dunking a plant in water once every ten days, our air plants make for a fun addition to any gift.
We’d love to hear what you think of this list! What can we add to make it better?! If there’s anything we’re missing that you think would make a great housewarming gift for guys, let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading, and happy gifting!
