The High-Tech Gift Guide

Some people like to do things manually, i.e., the hard way. You know the ones: Those who will spend hours making pasta by hand, who like to subtly flex that they mill their own flour, and whose countertops are devoid of gadgets of any kind. But then there are the people who would gladly let a fleet of robots run their homes if given the chance—people who watched WALL-E and thought, Sign me up. They want the “smart” version of everything: a vacuum that maps their house and cleans their messes and a grill that’ll let them know when their steak is ready while they sit in the comfort of their living room. If you’re in search of a gift for someone who falls into this camp, don’t succumb to the temptation of a flashy gimmick that’s really just a futuristic-looking version of a standard appliance. Instead, read on for the high-tech gifts that will actually make life easier and more efficient.

For the person who wants to optimize their coffee routine

A coffee maker that’s basically an in-home barista

If your giftee downs coffee like there’s no tomorrow, give them the gift of a techy coffee machine that’ll make the drink of their choice with the touch of a button. There are a number of smart coffee and espresso makers on the market, but these two each bring something unique to the table: The Spinn machine uses a centrifuge that spins at 4500 rpm as its brewing chamber, and if you have no idea what that really means or entails, just know that it allows you to make espresso, cold brew, pour-over-style coffee and more all with the same appliance. The Nespresso Creatista, on the other hand, is a pod coffee and latte lover’s dream. It takes all the convenience you get with a typical Nespresso machine and tacks on a built-in automatic steam wand—ideal for the friend who wants to practice their latte art without fussing with precise milk temperatures.

A self-heating mug to keep that latte piping hot

For the person who despises lukewarm coffee but can’t seem to finish a cup before it gets cold, give them a mug that will keep their bev at optimal temperature—which they’ll be able to control down to the precise degree via Ember’s app, of course.

For the breakfast lover

A toaster that makes breakfast feel like a video game

This toaster from Tineco functions much like a normal toaster, but it has a digital touchscreen interface that’s undeniably fun to use and offers hyper-specific control over toast color. Just use the slider to select your desired shade (which can differ between the two toast slots) and let the appliance work its magic. Tineco’s IntelliHeat technology ensures your bread browns evenly and to the exact level you selected, and you can save up to eight preferences to make the morning breakfast rush that much more seamless.

A blender that’s smart and stylish

The A3500 Gold Label blender from Vitamix is an ideal gift for someone who values form and function. The gold accents and gorgeous colorways are reason enough to opt for this model, but your tech-loving giftee will appreciate that it combines the high performance we’ve come to know and love from Vitamix with sleek touchscreen controls and convenient smart features like built-in wireless connectivity, compatibility with a range of containers, and a programmable timer.

For the lazy clean freak

A product test-winning robot vacuum

Maybe there’s someone in your life who spends far more time than they’d care to vacuuming up pet hair, or a friend whose New Year’s resolution is to maintain a cleaner home—the caveat being that they really don’t want to pick up a broom. Go for a robot vacuum that’ll do the work for them. This product-test-winning model from Roborock will map their floor plan and vacuum and mop cat hair, dinner party detritus, and pretty much whatever you throw at it. It auto-empties when it’s full and can be programmed with custom cleaning routines. It’s even compatible with Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, which your techy friend almost certainly has installed.

An automatic soap dispenser that delivers their ideal amount of suds

There’s simply no way people will be manually pumping soap in the robot-run smart homes of the future. Give the gift of luxe-feeling hand and dishwashing experiences for years to come with this automatic soap dispenser that performed well in Epicurious’s testing. Associate commerce editor Megan Wahn likes it because it has a rechargeable battery and the option to choose between two amounts of soap by waving your hand higher or lower under the motion sensor.

For the busy friend who just needs to get dinner on the table

App-enabled appliances that eliminate any guesswork

We’re on record about our love of Instant Pots and countertop ovens can make your life infinitely easier. But Instant Pots and countertop ovens that connect to your phone? That’s convenience on a whole other level. The Instant Pot Pro Plus Wi-Fi Smart 10-in-1 multi-cooker is the only Instant Pot model that can be controlled with an app, which allows you to make use of over 800 smart recipes and trigger steam release remotely. If your giftee is looking to outsource even more of the cooking process, give them a multi-oven that has a built-in barcode scanner capable of recognizing thousands of name-brand grocery items or full heat-and-eat meals from Tovala’s subscription service.

A thermometer that predicts when your meat will be done (hours before it actually is)

A predictive thermometer can be lifesaving in the context of Thanksgiving or other holiday dinners, but it’s also a game-changing piece of tech for weeknight salmon fillets, Sunday roast chicken dinners, and everything in between. What sets this model from Combustion apart are its eight temperature sensors, which provide enough data to guarantee a shockingly accurate estimate of when a piece of food will be up to temp.

For the wannabe grill master who needs a little assistance

A game-changing smart kamado grill

Charcoal-fueled kamado grills are beloved for their ability to grill, sear, smoke, and bake, but they can be tricky to get the hang of for beginner grillers. That’s where the Kamado Joe’s Konnected Joe comes in: It’s a first-of-its-kind smart kamado-style grill that lights at the press of a button, has a built-in temperature regulator, and is operable via a control panel or the Kamado Joe app. Food director Chris Morocco, senior commerce writer Emily Farris, and senior commerce editor Noah Kaufman all love it, and we have a feeling the lucky friend you give it to will too.

An app-controllable gas grill that’ll tell you when your food is ready

If a gas-fueled grill seems more up your giftee’s alley, this model from Weber will offer them the same Wi-Fi connectivity you get from the Konnected Kamado, along with many of the same smart features: remote temperature control, real-time temperature monitoring, and even low fuel notifications sent straight to your phone.

For the tech-loving bread baker

A WiFi-connected, voice-enabled stand mixer

Is this mixer decidedly extra? Yes. Does it work incredibly well, especially for large batches of cookies or double portions of bread dough? Also yes. This mixer from GE may well be smarter than most humans—so smart that it can respond to voice commands, weigh ingredients with a built-in scale, and detect the viscosity of its contents to prevent over or undermixing. It also sort of looks like a robot, which your tech-loving friend will appreciate if their dream home aesthetic is something along the lines of “spaceship chic.”

Gadgets that guarantee sourdough success

Making sourdough may seem like too old-school an activity for someone who would gladly automate every aspect of their life, but that’s where these products come in. If you’ve got a friend who’s a science nerd or loves data, give them a device that’ll let them know when their starter is at peak activity and will even spit out a growth curve for them to analyze at their leisure. Or opt for a temperature-regulating chamber that’ll ensure their starter stays at an optimal 75–82ºF.