19 Beautiful Ceramic Gifts for the Kitchen

In recent years dinnerware preferences have swayed from perfectly matched sets to eclectic mish-mashed collections. These days plenty of people stack their kitchen cabinets with a variety of one-off ceramic bowls and plates, each a bit more imperfect and handmade than the last. And thank god, because no one really gets excited about giving a set of plain white china for the holidays, right?

If you’re after a few ceramic gifts, good old hand-thrown mugs are always welcome. But there’s also plenty more out there: speckled platters and little garlic pots, pinched-edge plates, modernist teapots, or a sleek tortilla warmer. Read on for a few of our favorite thoughtful and unique ceramic gifts.

Striking servers

One striking serving dish can make a whole table. I’ve had my eye on these three bowls for a while: The graphic dish would go well with any set of off-white plates, making it a versatile gift choice. The second option, by British ceramicist Emma Cerasulo, is a more specific choice—the dramatic deep green speckle is inspired by the landscape in Puglia, Italy. The third, a flat-bottomed platter by Beau Rush, is maybe the most fun of the group—get it for your favorite arty aunt or your grooviest friend.

Handmade Ceramic Serving Bowl

Emma Cerasulo Large Splatter Serving Bowl

Beau Rush Lilac Funfetti Platter

Neutral dinnerware

Here’s a gift for those who like to let their cooking, not their dishes, do the talking. This subtle dinnerware—including a handmade red clay bowl from New York–based design studio Minna and a set of smooth, sand-colored bowls from Our Place—proves that quiet neutrals can still be plenty beautiful. 

Handmade Clay Serving Bowl

Vietri Incanto Stone Striped Salad Plate

This Italian-made plate has a sweet, dainty ruffled edge, balanced by a deliberate handmade, imperfect look.

Saturn Ceramic Bowl

Ceramic Tortilla Warmer

Our Place Side Bowls, Set of 4

Coffee and tea upgrades

Every caffeine-reliant person has a favorite mug. Mine is from East Fork, the Asheville, North Carolina, ceramics studio known for sturdy speckled hand-thrown dishes. If you want to go beyond a mug, why not consider a teapot (in either a kooky blue swirl or a subdued tan), a honey pot, or a little clay tumbler that’s just the right size for a cappuccino.

East Fork Mug

Hasami Teapot

Studio Arhoj Sup Cup

A Question of Eagles Mugs, Set of 2

Handmade Ceramic Honey Pot

Hay Teapot