Editorial gift guide
Hanukkah gifts for your father-in-law
16 considered picks
Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem and the story of a small supply of oil that lasted eight days. Families mark it by lighting the menorah each night, eating foods fried in oil such as latkes and sufganiyot, and playing dreidel. Gift-giving customs vary widely between households, so this guide sticks to items that support those observances or simply suit him as a person.
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Our curated picks
No. 01$10 to $50
Product image available on Amazon.
Rite Lite
Rite Lite Ivory Hanukkah Candles, 45 Count
Fit A full box of 45 candles, enough for all eight nights of a standard hanukkiah including the shamash, in a plain ivory color.
Typical budget: $10 to $50
Consider: Confirm his menorah takes standard Hanukkah candles rather than oil or oversized candles; some families already have a preferred candle.
Discovery: Rite Lite official site
No. 02$10 to $50
Product image available on Amazon.
Lake Champlain Chocolates
Lake Champlain Hanukkah Dark Chocolate Gelt Coins Gift Bag, 12 Pieces
Fit Foil-wrapped dark chocolate coins from a Vermont chocolatier, for playing dreidel or sharing on one of the nights.
Typical budget: $10 to $50
Consider: If he keeps kosher, check the current package for the certification he relies on before buying; check dietary limits too.
Discovery: Lake Champlain Chocolates Hanukkah gelt page
No. 03Under $10
Product image available on Amazon.
The Dreidel Company
The Dreidel Company Let’s Play Dreidel Game, 4 Wooden Dreidels
Fit Four natural wooden dreidels with instructions, enough for a family round on any of the eight nights.
Typical budget: Under $10
Consider: It is a small add-on rather than a standalone gift, and you will want gelt, coins, or another token to play for.
Discovery: The Dreidel Company brand site
No. 04$10 to $50
Product image available on Amazon.
Schocken
Joan Nathan’s Jewish Holiday Cookbook
Fit A long-respected holiday cookbook by Joan Nathan with recipes organized around the Jewish calendar, including Hanukkah dishes.
Typical budget: $10 to $50
Consider: He may already own Joan Nathan’s books; ask your partner what is on his cookbook shelf.
Discovery: Publishers Weekly listing for Joan Nathan’s Jewish Holiday Cookbook
No. 05$10 to $50
Product image available on Amazon.
Knopf
The Book of Jewish Food: An Odyssey from Samarkand to New York
Fit Claudia Roden’s reference cookbook pairs Ashkenazi and Sephardi recipes with the history of the communities that cooked them.
Typical budget: $10 to $50
Consider: It is a long, dense hardcover; someone who wants quick weeknight recipes may find it more of a reading book than a kitchen workhorse.
Discovery: Penguin Random House The Book of Jewish Food page
No. 06$10 to $50
Product image available on Amazon.
Jake Cohen
Jew-Ish: A Cookbook by Jake Cohen
Fit A modern Jewish home-cooking book with holiday and everyday recipes for someone who likes cooking for family and friends.
Typical budget: $10 to $50
Consider: It is a cookbook, so it fits someone who already enjoys cooking; recipes are not all kosher-style, so consider her household practice.
Discovery: HarperCollins Jew-Ish book page
No. 07Over $200
Product image available on Amazon.
Cuisinart
Cuisinart Custom 14-Cup Food Processor
Fit A large-capacity food processor whose shredding disc handles pounds of potatoes and onions for latkes in minutes, then keeps working all year.
Typical budget: Over $200
Consider: It is a substantial purchase and takes counter or cabinet space; confirm with your partner that he does not already have one.
Discovery: Cuisinart Custom 14-Cup Food Processor product page
No. 08$10 to $50
Product image available on Amazon.
OXO
OXO Good Grips 4-Sided Box Grater with Container
Fit A stable four-sided grater with a catch container, handy for shredding potatoes for latkes and everyday cheese or vegetables.
Typical budget: $10 to $50
Consider: It is a practical kitchen tool rather than a showpiece; pair it with something personal if she would not want a utilitarian gift.
Discovery: OXO Good Grips Box Grater product page
No. 09$10 to $50
Product image available on Amazon.
Frywall
Frywall 12-Inch Splatter Guard, Black
Fit A silicone wall that sits inside a 12-inch pan to contain oil splatter, handy when frying latkes or anything else in batches.
Typical budget: $10 to $50
Consider: It fits 12-inch pans; check the size of the skillet he uses for frying.
Discovery: Frywall official site
No. 10$10 to $50
Product image available on Amazon.
Lodge
Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet, 12 Inches
Fit A 12-inch pre-seasoned cast-iron skillet with room to shallow-fry a full batch of latkes or sear dinner for a family.
Typical budget: $10 to $50
Consider: It is heavy, needs hand washing and occasional re-seasoning, and duplicates the pan if he already cooks with a 12-inch cast-iron skillet.
Discovery: Lodge 12-inch cast iron skillet product page
No. 11$50 to $200
Product image available on Amazon.
Brightland
Brightland The Duo Extra Virgin Olive Oil Gift Set, Awake and Alive
Fit Two California extra virgin olive oils in light-protective bottles, meant for dressings, drizzling, and finishing.
Typical budget: $50 to $200
Consider: These are finishing oils rather than everyday frying oil, and the price is high for a pantry item; it suits someone who notices ingredient quality.
Discovery: Brightland official site
No. 12$50 to $200
Product image available on Amazon.
Aura
Aura Carver 10-inch Digital Photo Frame, Black
Fit A Wi-Fi photo frame that family members can add pictures to from their phones, so recent photos of kids and relatives appear without printing.
Typical budget: $50 to $200
Consider: It needs Wi-Fi and the Aura app; ask whether she wants a rotating display of family photos in a shared room.
Discovery: Aura Carver frame product page
No. 13$10 to $50
Product image available on Amazon.
Harney & Sons
Harney & Sons Teal Tea Chest, 32 Sachets
Fit A fabric-covered chest of 32 wrapped tea sachets in eight flavors that stays useful as tea storage after the tea is gone.
Typical budget: $10 to $50
Consider: Some blends contain caffeine; for evening drinkers, look for an herbal assortment instead.
Discovery: Harney & Sons tea chest product page
No. 14$10 to $50
Product image available on Amazon.
Chemex
Chemex Classic Series 6-Cup Pour-Over Coffeemaker
Fit A classic glass pour-over brewer with a wood collar, sized for sharing coffee with guests or making a full pot on a slow morning.
Typical budget: $10 to $50
Consider: It needs Chemex-style filters and a kettle, and the glass needs careful handling.
Discovery: Chemex Classic 6-Cup product page
No. 15$10 to $50
Product image available on Amazon.
Days of Wonder
Ticket to Ride Board Game (2025 Refresh)
Fit An approachable route-building board game for two to five players that works for family game nights across generations.
Typical budget: $10 to $50
Consider: It needs at least two players and about an hour; consider The Crew or Codenames instead if her group prefers card or party games.
Discovery: Days of Wonder Ticket to Ride page
No. 16$10 to $50
Product image available on Amazon.
Ravensburger
Ravensburger Maligne Lake, Canada 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle
Fit A 1,000-piece mountain-lake puzzle that can sit on a table through a holiday visit for anyone to work on.
Typical budget: $10 to $50
Consider: It needs a table that can stay occupied for days; it fits households that already enjoy puzzles.
Discovery: Ravensburger Maligne Lake puzzle page
How we selected these gifts
Selection rationale
The selection includes practical items for the nights themselves, including a full box of Hanukkah candles, chocolate gelt, and wooden dreidels, alongside kitchen tools for frying latkes and three well-regarded cookbooks. A few general picks, such as a tea assortment, a coffee brewer, a family game, and a digital frame, fit families who give a gift on one or more nights without a holiday theme.
Why this guide is separate
Hanukkah is its own holiday with its own customs, not a variation on Christmas, and this route treats it that way. Gifts here are chosen around candle lighting, fried foods, dreidel, and family time over eight nights. Because a father-in-law’s level of observance is personal, the guide avoids religious ritual objects he would choose for himself and leaves that to his own preference.
Choosing well
Ask how his family observes, then follow their lead
Observance ranges from lighting candles every night with blessings to a single family dinner. Ask your partner whether the family exchanges gifts at all, on which nights, and whether presents are small and nightly or one larger gift. If he keeps kosher, check food packaging for the certification he relies on before you buy, and do not assume every Jewish family keeps the same practice.
Support the traditions rather than replacing them
A menorah, kippah, or tallit is usually personal or inherited, so leave those choices to him. Candles, gelt, and dreidels are consumable and welcome in almost any observant household. A food processor, box grater, or splatter guard helps with frying latkes in oil, and a thoughtful cookbook gives him a new dish to try during the eight nights.
Plan gifts across the eight nights
If the family gives small gifts each night, combine low-cost items like gelt or dreidels with one bigger gift instead of buying eight similar items. Hanukkah dates move each year on the Gregorian calendar because the holiday follows the Hebrew calendar, so check the dates for this year before ordering anything that has to arrive by the first night.
Editorial standards
We rank products for their fit with this guide, practical usefulness, and the trade-offs a shopper should know before deciding.
Reviewed by WhatShouldIBuy.my Editorial on .