Each year our staff and contributors round up their best gift ideas for cooks, eaters, and the kitchen-curious. Read on for the best advent calendars for counting down the holidays.

You know what’s better than opening one big present on Christmas morning? Opening a bunch of little presents every day for a month. At least, that’s always been my opinion. I’ve been obsessed with advent calendars for as long as I can remember. When I was growing up, I would take any chocolate advent calendar I could get—usually something from the grocery store, with a cartoon Santa motif and a lot of milk chocolate in novelty shapes.

While one never outgrows the thrill of popping open a perforated cardboard door and getting a mini chocolate reindeer every day during the holiday season, there are a lot of great food advent calendars that cater to a more refined palate. On this list, you’ll find classics like the Bonne Maman mini jam advent calendar and our favorite coffee advent calendar, as well as a limited edition cheese calendar and a truly luxurious gourmand gift set that comes with a tiny tin of sea salt. Buy one (or a few) for yourself, or get your holiday gift giving out of the way early and snap up a few for your friends.

Sweets

Nothing says countdown to Christmas quite like eating a little candy every day in December, which is why chocolate advent calendars are the first thing most people think of. If elegant French confections and a dose of dark chocolate are essential little treats to get you through the day, look no further.

Compartés makes some of our favorite chocolate gifts, but we recommend buying its gourmet chocolate advent calendar as a gift to yourself. With 24 days of luxury chocolates in special edition seasonal flavors like pecan pie and holiday gingerbread, these little treats will fuel all the gift giving, decorating, and scrambling to wrap up projects before heading out of office you have to do this December.

If you’re more of a cookie person than a chocolate person, order the Walker’s Shortbread advent calendar right this very minute. The holiday assortment of Scottish shortbread cookies sells out every year, and for good reason. These are the perfect thing to dip in your morning cup of coffee, tea, or hot cocoa while you shop for gifts and contemplate your holiday party attire.

Even if you “don’t like licorice,” you should still try the Lakrids by Bülow Danish Licorice Christmas advent calendar. Many of the doors come with a two-pack of chocolate-coated licorice balls, so you could share, but I, personally, would not. I’m still thinking about the strawberry milkshake licorice that came with this one, but there are also classic sweet and salty black licorice options in the mix. The elegant black and gold box is chic enough that you can leave it out on display all month.

Delsyia’s advent calendar comes with 25 dark chocolate truffles, each with a number printed on top. This might be the most fun countdown calendar, because you have to guess the flavor of each day’s chocolate with the help of a riddle. This 2024 advent calendar is themed around the concept of a cookie swap, so be prepared for extra-sweet, baking-inspired flavors.

Beverages

More is more when it comes to the holiday season, which is why I’m a big advocate of getting at least two advent calendars every year: one to eat, and one to drink. This means you can make a whole thing out of opening both your calendars and get a surprise chocolate and wine pairing, for example.

Hotel Chocolat is a world-renowned, UK-based chocolatier that specializes in playful chocolate confections with a cocoa-forward, not-too-sweet flavor profile. They’re well-known for making some of the best hot chocolate in the game, and the brand is so obsessed with drinkable chocolate perfection that it even created a machine called The Velvetiser that produces smooth, creamy hot chocolate with the touch of a button. Whether you own a Velvetiser or not (I do, and I’m in love), you’ll want this hot chocolate advent calendar that gives you 24 days of high-quality drinking chocolate.

Vinebox’s wine advent calendars sell out every year, and I completely understand why. Split into two sets of 12 (one with whites, one with reds), you can either pick one or buy both for an ultimate month of wine tasting. Each box contains wines from all over the world, and each bottle comes with two servings of wine. Buy this wine advent calendar now while it’s on presale so you don’t risk missing out.

Even if tea isn’t your whole personality (but especially if it is), this luxury French tea advent calendar is the perfect way to add a little moment of calm to every day of the holiday season. The calendar itself has a gorgeous blue-and-silver winter wonderland design, and the little cotton tea bags are both chic and eco-friendly. Expect a range of surprising teas inside, like the fruit Montagne Bleu and an organic decaf herbal blend.

Foodie Favorites

If you’re more of a savory person, or are a card-carrying member of the Bonne Maman cult, don’t worry—I didn’t forget you. These advent calendars will help you count down the days of Christmas like a true gourmand.

The limited edition Bonne Maman advent calendar is a cult favorite year after year, because who can resist opening and tasting a tiny jar of jam every day? Literally, no one.

This luxury advent calendar from Williams Sonoma has a little bit of everything, so it’s perfect if you can’t decide what kind of foodie advent calendar you want. There are a few classics, like the brand’s iconic peppermint bark, and some mini jars of Bonne Maman preserves, but there’s also a pocket-size tin of Jacobson’s sea salt and some adorable cookware-inspired ornaments.

If cookie exchange season has you craving something fiery to balance out all the sweets (or if your in-laws always underseason everything), this hot sauce calendar will feel like a welcome respite from the Christmas sugar rush. This calendar comes with 12 mini bottles of hot sauce in a range of flavors, from the milder smoky horseradish to the bhut jolokia–infused Zombie Apocalypse.