It has always been a bit of a dilemma to me whether to give household items, for example, dinnerware or kitchenalia, as christmas and birthday presents. My own mother was absoltely anti such a practice and I can remember the look of thunder on her face when poor old dad made a classic error and bought her a new ironing board one year! In these days of everyone being able to buy what they want when they want it, the problems seems even more complicated.
I am always guided by listening to any parties for whom a gift is needed – invariably the wife of a partnership will be helpful and mention stuff they plan to get or have seen and admired. This is a brilliant starting place when I go online to gift search – there is no other way for me. I can browse the review sites and giftware suppliers and always get the right gift.