18 Best Gifts for Chemical Engineers (in 2024)

Last updated: November 17th, 2024

It can be a struggle to find the best gifts for chemical engineers, especially if you aren't into chemistry yourself. I work closely with chemical engineers and they love practical tools that help them solve problems, but also sometimes enjoy nerdy chemistry gear that lets them show their passion for chemistry. This list helps get rid of the kitsch like printed chemistry mugs and periodic table joke t-shirts to narrow it down to items they will truly love and keep for a long time. 

This list ties together our favorite gifts for scientists from around the internet. Some are our own Genius Lab Gear inventions and some we’re just jealous we didn’t think of first! Some links in this page contain affiliate links, which means that any purchase of the items after clicking the link will result in a small monetary referral fee paid back to Genius Lab Gear at no cost to you. We appreciate your support which allows us to continue inventing and testing the best tools for chemists on the planet!

1. The Pocket Chemist - Molecule Stencil and Chemistry Pocket Reference

If you've already spent hours looking for gifts for chemical engineers or chemical engineering students, you can stop here.

"This would have made my life 10x easier!" - said one chemist during our first Instagram giveaway. The only solvent-proof and wallet-sized organic chemistry stencil available, this little tool will help your favorite chemical engineer draw beautiful chemical reactions and save them time referencing important physical constants.

Not sure? It was even featured in the 2019 Holiday Gift Guide from the authority Chemical & Engineering News magazine!

To see how it's used, check the 45-second video below:

Get it with free shipping from our website or on Amazon using the links below!

You can also add a custom logo to this for events, networking, or promotional giveaways! Custom orders start at 100 pieces - just email us for more info.

The Pocket Chemist at Genius Lab Gear

The Pocket Chemist from Amazon

How to use The Pocket Chemist – Full Feature Guide

2. Chemistry and Engineering Word Magnets for the fridge or fume hood

Science-themed gifts are rarely as entertaining and enduring as our science-themed word magnet sets! We recently launched these to encourage creativity and self-expression in labs, classrooms and offices. Each specialty pack comes with 144 tiles carefully designed by a PhD in that field for technical accuracy and tacit absurdity.

The Chemistry Word Magnet set was designed with help from professional chemists and chemistry teachers, who chose words to make it both science-y and humorous. Combine it with the Engineering Word Magnet set for a customized creative experience for chemical engineers. These are just plain fun!

Also now available on Amazon.

3. Elemental Dice Set - made with real elements!

If you know a chemical engineer or ChemE major who also plays board games, this is a premium, unique gift they will geek out over. These elemental dice sets are each either made with or contain the element of the Periodic Table shown on it!

I personally prefer the all-metal ones over the clear ones because the dice values are easier to see, but you can also collect them all!

There are 5 sets available on Amazon but 6 on their website, with different availability. It's worth checking their website first to buy directly if you can!

Check price on Amazon

4. Ion: A Compound Building Chemistry Card Game

From the same makers of games like Periodic, Peptide, and Cytosis, is Ion! This is more the inorganic chemistry version that's great for high school chemistry and PhD level to professional inorganic chemistry majors. Both have similar gameplay and will be well-loved by any chemical engineer who would love to play it with their family, friends or your chemistry club! Get Ion if they primarily work with solid materials instead of liquid chemicals. 

Check Price on Amazon

5. Valence card game

Another chemistry-themed card game with a different goal - with Valence you make your own chemical compounds to win!

A chemist in a neighboring lab recommended this to me as a fun game to get kids familiar with the charges (valences) on atoms which cause them to form molecules like H2O and CO2. You really just collect cards that add to zero, but learn a ton of chemistry while you do it! It takes 2-4 players, ages 8+ and about 20 minutes per game.

Check Price on Amazon

6. Chemical FE Exam practice problems

If your chemical engineer is graduating soon and going into a job that requires a professional engineering certification, they will need to take and pass the FE exam first. This is an excellent practice problem book to get them started. Even at your peak in college, the FE exam takes extensive studying and practice to pass!

Check Price on Amazon

7. The Beauty of Chemistry: Art, Wonder, and Science

I personally love having one or two high-end full-color reference books on my coffee table, related to my field of study. For me, one is a microscopy book and the other is a gems/minerals book.

The Beauty of Chemistry has over 400 pages of visually stunning full-color photos along with explanations of the reactions and processes shown in each. It's a fun way for a chemical engineering major to nerd out while taking a break from research on their couch.

Check Price on Amazon

8. Metal Chemistry-themed Bookends

Most chemical engineering professors and professional chemical engineers have quite a book collection. (Some from this list, probably!) Keeping them neatly organized can be a challenge, but bookends can help. My favorite are these simple metal bookends with the serotonin molecule (the molecule of happiness)!

9. Periodic Table Rubix Cube

Like a Rubix cube, but with the periodic table. Each side is color-coded for solving the classic problem, but you get to reinforce your elemental basics as you go. This also makes a great gift for a younger student interested in chemistry or chemical engineering. 

10. Pipette Ninja or Marie Curie stickers

Are they a pipette ninja? Someone who deftly transfers precise volumes of liquids to and from a chemical reaction? Designate them an official Pipette Ninja with our Pipette Ninja sticker!

Marie Curie was a Nobel prize-winning chemist (and physicist) who shattered the glass ceiling and stayed true to her passions for scientific discovery. This Marie Curie silhouette sticker coveys a cute but meaningful message - "Stay Curie-ous" in honor of her life and mission. 

Both of these are perfect gifts under $5 for adding to a chemical engineering student's laptop, thermos or notebook!

11. Rocketbook Matrix cloud-connected reusable paper notebook

Chemical engineers do a lot of work both on paper and with software for system-level simulations. Rocketbook finally solved the problem of merging your hand-written notes into your favorite digital services. You simply use their app to take a photo of your pages of notes and the QR code and marked symbols on each page trigger the app to send the digitized page to any of the 9 pre-set digital destinations you choose. This includes OneNote, Evernote, Google Drive, Dropbox and even specific emails. Want a shortcut to send notes via email straight to your colleague or boss? This is what you’re looking for.

The Rocketbook Matrix is my personal favorite because it's designed for more technical work. It's got 30 pages of graphing paper and one regular lined page for taking notes, plus a built-in ruler on the inside cover. Did I mention they are resuable? Use their "Pilot Frixion" pens and then wipe the page with a damp cloth after uploading your notes to use it all over again (and win one for the environment!). 

Check the price on Amazon.

12. Lab Coat Pocket Protector

Behind every technological breakthrough, eco-friendly solution, and life-saving medication lies the ingenuity and dedication of these unsung heroes. To show appreciation, a simple but useful tool is a fantastic option.

Enter the venerable Pocket Protector which became a cultural icon in the 1960's and 1970's, but somewhere along the way the newer generation of STEM researchers forgot about them.

Chemical Engineers need these back in their labs to stay organized, stay efficient, protect their lab coats, and finish their experiments without being late to lunch. So we researched and tested every type ever made to methodically solve each problem and come up with this refreshed design.

Available in spruce green, sapphire blue, and faded pink - the top 3 colors voted on by our fans! You can even get it from our Amazon page if that's easier.

13. DIY Gin-making kit of Craft Beer kit

Chemical engineers have a reputation for being fascinated by gins and homebrewing. Nearly every one I've known either wanted to open their own brewery or distillery, and some universities even often elective classes on alcohol production. It's a fun way to use their extensive training!

If your chemical engineer enjoys craft beverages, one of these kits is an excellent way to open a door to something they could one day turn into their life's passion. My favorite kits are this gin-making kit and this amber ale brew kit.

14. Culinary Reactions: The Everyday Chemistry of Cooking

This book finally made cooking enjoyable for me. It's always been one of those imprecise arts where you just follow the directions and hope to get it about right. As a scientist, understanding what I'm doing is paramount. This cookbook walks you through the chemistry behind your every-day cooking recipes so you can make adjustments and improvements by logic, not guesswork! Any chemical engineer would love to have this book to apply their advanced knowledge of chemistry to something they do every day.

Check Price on Amazon

15. Molecular Gastronomy Starter Kit

Molecular gastronomy is a field of food science that studies the physical and chemical reactions that occur during the cooking process. If you know a chemical engineer who enjoys cooking, they'll appreciate the creativity in this Molecular Gastronomy Starter Kit, which is essentially a miniature lab for food. The set comes with a slotted spoon, tubes, pipettes, and a sodium alginate sachet, among other things. Experimenting with food can bring out the chef in any chemical engineer!

Check Price on Amazon

16. Coffee Glass (Set of 2) - Etched with Coffee Chemistry Molecules

Who doesn't enjoy a cup of coffee? Chemical engineers often work long hours, especially in research laboratories. This Greenline Goods’ beaker mug, which features a diagram of the molecules found in coffee, is the ideal way for a science nerd to start the day. It's the perfect gift for a coffee aficionado which will also remind them of their passion for science while at home.

Check the Price on Amazon

17. Galileo Thermometer with Glass Globe Barometer

This amazing classical instrument was inspired from an invention by Galileo back in the 16th century. A Galileo thermometer is made of a sealed glass cylinder containing a clear liquid and several glass vessels of different densities. As the liquid within the colorful weights changes temperature their density changes allowing the weights to rise or fall. It also comes with a glass globe barometer used to measure air pressure. A fun desk gift for chemical engineers that combines old and new technology with chemical engineering principles.

Check the Price on Amazon

18. Best books for chemical engineers to read for pleasure (not textbooks!)

Engineers often get stuck in a loop of always reading technical documents, textbooks and journal articles. It’s important to occasionally break that cycle and dive into a book for pleasure. Below are a few of our favorite science-related books that will be an enjoyable read for a chemical engineer.

The Martian by Andy Weir

              This is our all-time favorite book that chemical engineers will enjoy reading. For such a technical book, it’s got an incredible plot yet isn’t overly dramatized (except a little at the end). No other fiction book has captured this much popularity while running through exact calculations, estimations and scientific principles just to keep someone alive. You’ll be rooting for Mark Watney and inspired by the idea that your technical knowledge could one day save your life.

Check the price on Amazon

She Engineers: Outsmart Bias, Unlock your Potential, and Create the Engineering Career of your Dreams by Stephanie Slocum

              A perfect gift for a female chemical engineer nearing graduation, this book helps to address a major issue not often discussed in school: the “boys” culture of engineering. The author has been an engineer in industry for over 15 years and gives practical strategies in an easy-to-read conversational tone to help any female engineer navigate the male-dominated workplace. It’s well-structured and filled with immediately applicable advice not only on excelling in your career but keeping work-life balance while you do it.

Check the price on Amazon

Ignition!: An Informal History of Liquid Rocket Propellants

              John Clark, a chemist and sci-fi writer instrumental in creating the rocket fuels which took the Apollo astronauts to the Moon, documents the story in a humorous and engaging way. He gets into the chemistry of the propellants, feuds between rival labs, backchannel negotiations and the hair-raising dangers of inventing and testing these fuels. A chemical engineer with the slightest interest in space or rocket technologies would love to read this book about the golden age of rocketry from a chemist point of view. 

Check the price on Amazon

Molecules: The Elements and the Architecture of Everything

            Molecules is the 2nd book in the 3-book series about the building blocks of our world. (Elements was Book 1). These books come with gorgeous full-color photography and illustrations of molecules and the "stuff" that they form.

I personally love how the photos make otherwise invisible molecules tangible, and tie them to the world we live in. The book has range too - it's approachable enough to get my 8 year old nephew interested, but technical enough for a chemical engineering grad student or professional chemical engineer to keep as a fun coffee table book.

Check the price on Amazon

Reactions: An Illustrated Exploration of Elements, Molecules, and Change in the Universe

Following the Molecules book above, Reactions is another illustrated chemistry book that shows what "stuff" we can form when molecules get a chance to react! In the last book of this trilogy, Theodore Gray shows the more dynamic side of chemistry.

As a sort of inside joke, he even includes a section about the most boring reactions - like those that cause paint to dry and grass to grow. I highly recommend this affordable trilogy as a fantastic bookshelf for chemistry lovers of any age!

More recommended books for Graduate Students:

If the person you have in mind is also a graduate student, take a look at our new list of The Best Books to Make You a Better Grad Student.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

What do you buy a chemical engineer?

Chemical engineers hard to buy gifts for. This list will help!

1. The Pocket Chemist
2. Chemistry and Engineering Word Magnets
3. Chemical FE Exam practice problems
4. Ion: A Compound Building Chemistry Card Game
5. Valence card game
6. Elemental Dice Set - made with real elements!
7. The Beauty of Chemistry: Art, Wonder, and Science
8. Metal Chemistry-themed Bookends
9. Periodic Table Rubix Cube
10. Pipette Ninja or Marie Curie Stickers
11. Lab Coat Pocket Protector
12. Rocketbook Matrix
13. DIY Gin Kit or Craft Beer Kit
14. Culinary Reactions: The Everyday Chemistry of Cooking
15. Molecular Gastronomy Starter Kit
16. Coffee Glass (Set of 2) - Etched with Coffee Chemistry Molecules
17. Galileo Thermometer with Glass Globe Barometer
18. Chemistry-themed pleasure reading books: The Martian by Andy Weir, She Engineers: Outsmart Bias, Unlock Your Potential, and Create Engineering Career of Your Dreams by Stephanie Slocum, Ignition!: An Informal History of Liquid Rocket Propellants, Molecules: The Elements and the Architecture of Everything, Reactions: An Illustrated Exploration of Elements, Molecules, and Change in the Universe

What should you get a chemical engineering student?

Any chemistry student is going through a challenging course load. The most appreciated gift would be The Pocket Chemist, which can help them get through homework faster and turn in spectacularly neat chemical reactions! It's basically a pocket tool for chemistry students.