Penzeys Spices

For the home cook on your list, it's hard to go wrong with any of the gift boxes from Penzeys. This well-known spice purveyor boasts a mammoth range of hard-to-find spices, spice blends and extracts, which are sold both individually as well as in prepackaged gift boxes curated to suit every occasion and budget. Think options like a 4-jar cocoa lovers' kit for $17.95 and an 8-jar taste of Mexico gift pack for $49.95. There's also the option to assemble your own spice boxes with add-in trinkets such as salt and pepper mills, kitchen towels, magnets, bumper stickers, pins, and mugs. You can order everything online, but nothing beats the experience of going into the shop where you can give everything a sniff test before you commit to purchasing.