Introduction

To some, gourmet gift baskets are just overpriced assortments of supermarket-quality fruit and unappetizing snacks destined to languish for weeks before being thrown out. But the best gift baskets make impressive gifts, with an abundance of succulent, perfectly ripe fruit and picnic-ready snacks attractively presented in sturdy hampers or baskets. A good fruit basket or gourmet food basket can make a more thoughtful and inclusive (but not too personal) business gift than logo coffee mugs or mouse pads. If you're looking for chocolate specifically, see our companion report, which covers boxed gift chocolate.

The best gourmet gift basket reviews come from The Wall Street Journal, which tackles both fruit baskets and two types of gourmet gift baskets. Cook's Illustrated takes a hard look at fruit-only baskets, evaluating them on several criteria, including price per piece of fruit and packaging. Consumer Reports sizes up gourmet gift baskets and makes recommendations for the tailgater, the fruit fanatic and the epicure. We also read candid consumer reviews at Chowhound, Cooking Light and Organic Picks.