Under $25, the trick is to give one useful thing and one edible thing. A board lover will use a good knife set or a book for years, and a jar of something special gets opened at the next party. Here's what we'd give at this price, and what each piece is actually for.
Prices are typical ranges for each kind of product, checked October 2026. They move around in November, so check the price at checkout. We have no paid relationship with any brand below.
Our picks at a glance
The full list
Best overall under $25
1. Around the World in 16 Boards
Paperback $16.99 · ebook $9.99
Sixteen international boards with shopping lists and prep countdowns. At $16.99 it leaves room for a jar of fig spread and still comes in around $25. More about the book
Best for a vegan friend
2. 15 Show-Stopping Plant-Based Boards
Paperback $18.99 · ebook $9.99
Fifteen boards with no meat and no dairy, each with a shopping list. A thoughtful gift for the friend who usually gets left out of the cheese board. More about the book
Best tool
3. A 3-piece cheese knife set
Typically $12–20
One soft-cheese knife, one spreader, one pointed knife for hard cheese. That covers every cheese on a board.
See it on Amazon
Best for the party host
8. Slate cheese markers with a chalk pen
Typically $8–14
Little slate flags to label each cheese, so guests stop asking what everything is.
See it on Amazon
Best for cheese lovers
9. Formaticum cheese storage bags
Typically $14–18
Two-ply cheese paper bags that let cheese breathe without drying out. Cheese shops use the same paper. How to store cheese
See it on Amazon
Best everyday tool
10. A Norwegian cheese plane
Typically $10–18
Shaves paper-thin slices of Gouda, Jarlsberg or Gruyère. Cheap, useful every day, and most people don't own one.
See it on Amazon
Best small book
11. Little Book of Charcuterie and Cheese by Lynda Balslev
Typically $10–16
A small hardback with pairing basics and simple board ideas. Fits in a stocking.
See it on Amazon
Worth stretching a dollar: 50 Boards, Built by Science is $25.99 in paperback, with 50 complete boards.
Which Charcuterie Lab book for which person?
Or give it as a set
About $35–46
The starter gift
A first set of tools, a jar for the first board and sixteen boards to make with them.