5 Things We Love: Secret Santa

To celebrate the holidays, "5 Things We Love" will be devoted to gift ideas through Dec. 24. Today: What to buy for gift exchanges with co-workers and friends for $20 or less. Next week: something for hard-to-please teens.

1. Gingerbread men measure up

These gingerbread men are so sweet, yet they won’t fatten you up unless you use them to bake something caloric. With four measures, the spoons make an adorable set for the office baker. The gingerbread men measuring spoons sell for $12.95 at Pier 1.

— Donica Kaneshiro

2. French press does coffee right

First, if you’re a coffee lover and you’ve never used a French press, you’ve shortchanged yourself in a serious way. It’s basically a plunger snugly fitted into a cylinder. Pour in boiling water and coarsely ground coffee, and when it has steeped, you push the plunger to the bottom, pressing away the grounds, leaving coffee for you to pour. This is how coffee should taste: full and rich. Starbucks Coffee put a handy spin on the design by building it into a tightly sealable, 10-ounce, double-walled travel container that comes in blue, black and purple. It’s $19.95 at www.starbucks.com.

— Mike Gordon

3. The Easy Opener makes it easier to access beer

You’re thirsty and desperate for a cold one. Who wants to waste precious seconds puzzling over whether it’s a twist-top, handing off to a more dexterous friend or fumbling for a bottle opener? With the Brookstone Easy Opener you don’t have to. Just place it over the bottle (twist-tops, too!), push down and release. A built-in magnet captures the cap. Too easy! Pick one up as an office gift or stocking-stuffer for $19.99 at Brookstone in Ward Centre and Kahala Mall, or www.brookstone.com.

— Christie Wilson

4. Hanafuda is in the cards

Selecting a "Secret Santa" gift that’s workplace-appropriate can be a challenge. Hanafuda Hawaii Style fits the requirement perfectly. This collector’s version of the traditional Japa­nese card game is suitable for almost anyone old enough to enjoy card games. In some families hana­fuda is a tradition passed down from one generation to the next. Hana­fuda Hawaii Style makes the game accessible to people who don’t have that experience to draw on. A beautifully illustrated booklet covers the history of the game, the meaning of each design and suit, basic rules of play and winning strategies. I bought my copy at the Louis Pohl Gallery (1142 Bethel St., 521-1812); or visit www.hana­fuda­hawaii.com.

— John Berger

5. These truffles come in 3 flavors

Not quite sure what will appeal to your "Secret Santa" pick? You can’t go wrong with a box of melt-in-your-mouth truffles, no matter what the age, gender or occupation of the recipient. These "darkly delicious" treats, sold under the Whole Foods Market label, have the added attraction of being made from organic cocoa according to an old family recipe by one of France’s leading chocolatiers. Choose from chocolate, hazelnut chocolate (my favorite) or cookie crumble. They’re perfect with tea or coffee or just on their own. And at $6.99 per 8.8-ounce box, you can afford to buy an extra one for yourself.

— Nina Wu