Graduation Gift Ideas for Every Type of Grad

It's that time of life when years of hard work at school have finally paid off: Graduation day is here. If you're looking for graduation gift ideas for high school grads or college grads, take note — there's no better way to commemorate your favorite student than with a present that honors their passions.

Whether they are into cooking or coffee, travel or tech, we've culled through the best of the best and have hand-picked graduation gifts for every type of grad. Do these ideas make the grade? 100 percent!

While we believe that every person who loves to cook should have a few good knives on hand, like this knife trio from Our Place, if your grad is looking ahead to dorm life or apartment life, quick and easy cooking is the name of the game.

This microwave pasta pot is genius. Not only does it make mealtime manageable but it's also budget-friendly. Simply add noodles and water and then cook in the microwave. The built-in colander allows you to drain the water from the dish, and then you can eat straight from the pot. Just add sauce or some olive oil and Parmesan cheese. This container, made of plastic and 100-percent platinum silicone, holds up to 34 ounces and is freezer- and dishwasher-safe.

Placed on a bedside table or in a book nook, this portable lamp is ideal for reading. Compact and sleek — it's only 9 inches high — it'll complement a variety of decor styles and spaces. The adjustable swivel head rotates 270 degrees, so if your grad will be sharing a room, they'll be able to adjust the spotlight away from others. This lamp lasts for 6 to 12 hours on a full charge.

Grads who love being in the open air will be able to appreciate the many benefits of having a tricked out multitool at the ready. This particular Leatherman style, the Signal, is an ideal choice for the outdoorsy type. It comes with 19 features in the compact 4.5-inch size, including a firestarter, hammer, emergency whistle, one-handed blade, can opener, bottle opener, saw, and hammer. Included is a nylon sheath to protect and hold it, and you can choose from a variety of colors, including crimson, cobalt, green, and black. (Perhaps one matches their school colors.)

No doubt coffee was probably your college or grad student's plus one during their school years. Late-night study sessions are no joke. So, if you're planning on giving a gift to a coffee lover, know this: It's possible they already have a favorite mug and coffee machine, but how about a milk frother? It feels a little bit extra, a little bit luxurious. And that's why it's a perfect present.

This frother quickly heats and froths milk into warm, thick foam in just 2 minutes. A cold foam option or warm thin foam is also available. It has a built-in auto shut-off function and comes in a gorgeous sage green color.

While some might find this hard to believe, not everyone is a coffee lover. If your grad is a tea lover, they will fully appreciate this water boiler made in Japan. It's a favorite of many.

It's designed to quickly heat water and keep it warm. Choosing from three different sizes (3 liters, 4 liters, and 5 liters), your grad will be able to check water levels through the panorama window. It comes with four warm-temperature settings, which is ideal for a variety of teas, including matcha, black, herbal, and oolong. The quick temp mode can warm water without reaching a boil, which saves on time and energy. The cafe drip slowly releases water, and it has an automatic dispense lock to prevent accidental dispensing.

Perhaps your grad is traveling this summer before they head off to college or before they hit the working world. Most likely, if they have wanderlust, they'll always find the will and the way to travel. One thing we never want them to be without is a way to power their phone since our phones are the hub of everything, including where we store travel tickets, itineraries, hotel reservations, apps for health insurance, and more. (Plus, we hope they call home once in a while!)

Enter this compact, portable power-bank charger that quickly charges up to two personal devices at a time through the two USB-C ports. It's good for iPhones, iPads, Android devices, and more, and it can give up to a 50-percent charge in 30 minutes. At a light weight of 6.4 ounces, it's made of 90-percent certified recycled plastic and has a battery that offers up to three days of power. Choose from five different colors.

Whether they're moving to the city for their new job (hey, congrats!) or their new campus is smack dab within city lights, noise may become an issue. Enter noise-canceling headphones. Apple AirPods Max gives you the benefits of AirPods but with an over-the-ear feature. It offers up to 20 hours of listening time with a single charge (compared to the six hours of charge time with the regular AirPods) and comes with a smart case and cables.

Also, here are two benefits we appreciate: You can get the AirPods Max engraved with your grad's initial, name, or the initials of their school, and six months of Apple Music is free with this purchase. One note: If your grad isn't an Apple person, Bose noise-canceling wireless headphones is always a popular choice too.

While many believe that a Vitamix is the holy grail of all blenders, it does come at a premium price. Therefore, we turn to the lower-priced Nutribullet. It's compact and fast, so it's perfect for small spaces and grads on the go. Use the container to blend fruits, nuts, kale, and other favorite health foods and then flip it around to use as a cup for drinking. With a 900-watt motor and refined nutrient extraction blades, even the toughest foods can be blended. It's great for making shakes, smoothies, and even nut butters. A to-go lid and a recipe book are included as well.

The reMarkable is so helpful for both students and those out of college that your grad is going to wonder what they ever did without it. Essentially, it's like a "paper" tablet, replacing notebooks and printouts. Yes, it feels like paper as you write. It will convert your handwriting to typed text (it supports 33 languages) and will organize all your work in one place.

For a productivity tool, many sing this thin gadget's praises. It's perfect for note-taking or working on a script, thesis project, or business proposal. Best of all? There are no pop-up ads or notifications interrupting your flow.

Whether they meditate, journal, or walk in nature, this particular grad has routines and rituals that keep them centered and grounded. As they head off to college or enter a new world post-school, it's important to keep these practices going.

This Solu N.O.W. Tone Therapy System offers an easy form of meditation in only three minutes, two times daily. This system is made of two speakers that create tones in new and changing sequences. After 3 minutes, the tones fade to silence, and it then shuts itself off. At just 3 inches in diameter, it is compact and easy to take on the go. It's a quick and easy way to ease anxiety, reset a mood, or create calm, which is something we hope for all of our students and grads alike.

Admit it: This square Fuji camera is extremely ‌cute‌. Your artsy grad will be the life of the party when they start taking pictures with this instant camera and then display the photos in myriad artistic ways. Also, what better way to decorate bland dorm room walls than with little square-shape images of friends, the ubiquitous ice cream cone shot, their afternoon latte, and other creative ideas?

This camera has a rounded, textured grip for a comfortable hold. It includes a selfie mirror, one-touch selfie mode, and auto-exposure for bright images. Be sure to include several packs of Fujifilm Instax square film and the hard carrying case to help get them started.

It's not just that they love music; it's that they ‌need‌ music. So, help them tune in wherever they go with a portable Bluetooth speaker. The Sonos Move gives great sound. While it is portable and can be moved around, it's not pocket-size. It's perfect to take from room to room, whether it's for a dorm, apartment, or house; however, it does need to land back on its docking station to charge.

It can be played from any device and connects to services such as Spotify or Apple Music. One interesting feature is that it has automatic Trueplay tuning, which uses its microphones to analyze the unique acoustics of its surroundings to optimize the sound. Using wi-fi, it streams audio anywhere it goes.

If your grad is interested in the confluence of great design and tech, this wireless charging stand will be a big hit. Inspired by Danish furniture design, this stand has an adjustable rail that moves up and down, accommodating phones of all sizes. You can place your phone either in portrait or landscape mode, and it powers at top speed. Best yet, this can be used for a variety of smartphones, including iPhone, Samsung, Google Pixel, and more. Also, you can keep your case on your phone while charging, which is a very convenient feature.