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It’s hard to choose the best gift for a coffee lover. We’re a diverse pack with different tastes, gadgets, and obsessions. Anyone can feel overwhelmed, so I decided to help you find the best gift for that special friend, partner, or co-worker you’d like to impress.
I identified four different coffee personas, so it’s easier for you to find which might be the best gift for your coffee lover.
Home Barista
“I’m not happy with this espresso. I’ll try with a finer grind.”
A Home Barista feels obsessed with espresso machines, drinks, and all the gadgets around it. If she follows baristas on Instagram and watches YouTube videos about espresso machines and latte-art tricks, then you might have a Home Barista close to you – or an aspiring one.
The Home Baristas are looking to improve every day. You have a wide range of options to help your Home Barista to elevate her game, and brewing experience, to the next level. Home Baristas tend to be picky about their gear, so don’t aim too high unless you feel sure about it.
Filter Coffee Samurai
“Please try this natural without sugar first. It’s so citric and sweet.”
The Filter Coffee Samurai is at the opposite extreme of the convenience-oriented coffee lovers. Ritualistic, perfectionists, and skillful, they’re among the most exigent coffee prosumers. As with Home Baristas, it’s better to know which gadgets they have before buying them a gift. Moreover, I recommend learning why and how they chose their brewing devices: they can talk for more than ten minutes about why they chose the V60 instead of the Chemex or vice versa.
Talking it’s going to help you pick the best gift for them. And don’t worry, there are tons of options to surprise them and show them your love with a unique gift.
Capsule Master
“Would you like a fruity espresso or an intense one? Don’t worry. It’ll take a minute.”
Our Capsule Master doesn’t believe he is George Clooney, but he feels quite cool about the convenience, variety, and style that offer Coffee Capsule Machines. Many would say that there isn’t any other way to have a decent espresso, without the mess and expenses of an Espresso Machine. Taste and body are their priorities, and practicality isn’t a secondary concern.
And, don’t forget style, like George, it’s at the top of mind of every Capsule Master.
Traditionalist Coffee-Addict
“I’m not human until I drink my first coffee mug.”
Most coffee drinkers in the world just use the black gold to get awake. They don’t care if it’s instant, robusta, burned, or whatever. Simply want their caffeine shot.
However, unlike most people, the Traditionalist Coffee-Addict values her morning ritual and enjoys coffee the whole day, one mug after another. Overall, they love to drink lots of coffee and care more about the flavor than most people. They might feel a bit annoyed by snobbier coffee lovers, but they can’t deny they have their preferences as well.
They will love anything you could do to improve their morning ritual through and around coffee.
How to Use This Gift Guide?
I picked every gift thinking about the specific coffee lover personas I described above. After you find which persona fits your friend best, check the gifts I suggest for them.
Still, if you prefer to check the whole list, be my guest. I love everything inside the list, and your friends will love it too! A few gifts can fit several coffee lover personas, so I mentioned them when they fit. Yet, you’ll notice there aren’t too many like that.
Home Barista
Grinders
“You will make a better cup of coffee with a high-end grinder and a small domestic espresso machine than with a cheap grinder and a top-of-the-range commercial espresso machine.”
The Breville Smart Grinder Pro is a great grinder, with a more traditional look, enough grind settings for any Espresso lover, and it’s more affordable than the Baratza Sette 270.
A hand grinder only makes sense for travel or camping when it comes to Espresso lovers. The Porlex Mini is our favorite hand grinder for travel and can deliver consistent fine ground coffee. It can take a while, but there is nothing like freshly ground coffee. Even on the go!
The Fellow Atmos is the best way to keep coffee beans as fresh as possible. Unlike most airtight containers, it removes air from the inside so that coffee beans can stay fresh for weeks. For freshness sake, pick matte versions, not the clear glass ones. Sunlight is terrible for coffee beans too!
Warning: It doesn’t work with pre-ground coffee.
Forget conventional tampers. A coffee distributor and tamper are some of the best gadgets you can give to a Home Barista. Before buying one, remember to check the portafilter’s size to ensure it fits with your friend’s Espresso Machine.
A good barista is a skillful latte artist. And any latte artist needs a good milk frothing pitcher. They come in different sizes and presentations so that you can pick the best one for your Home Barista friend.
As Home Baristas, the coffee puck is one of those kinky obsessions we suffer. A knock box adds a lot of practicality and dramatically reduces the messiness of the Home Barista life.
Coffee dosing is paramount for a Home Barista. The Hario Coffee Scale offers the precision we need to deliver consistent greatness. Moreover, a scale provides more versatility for coffee brewing.
Serving an espresso in a mug or a regular cup doesn’t feel great. These beautiful Espresso cups are a nice touch to elevate your Home Barista friend experience.
A vibrant cappuccino cup and saucer set over the Espresso Machine adds a professional touch. Moreover, cappuccino cups make latte art more manageable and engaging.
Most Home Baristas love to experiment with different recipes, grind sizes, varietals, and roasts. With this Coffee Passport Journal, it will be easier to record every tasting experience with a simple structure. It’s inexpensive yet original and will help your friend to elevate her performance and sensory skills.
A proper home espresso machine isn’t easy to find. The Breville BES920XL Dual Boiler Espresso Machine doesn’t have a cool name, but it’s a top-of-the-line machine for home use.
It includes impressive features like electronic temperature control, water hardness test strip, descales alert, and an Over-Pressure Valve that controls extraction pressure. Additionally, it looks so great!
The Flair Signature Espresso Maker is more affordable than conventional Espresso Machines but doesn’t look inexpensive!
It’s lovely, although a bit eccentric.
I must confess it’s one of my personal favorites.
Home Baristas feel out of place when they are on the go, be it traveling or camping. A way to help them is giving them a Wacaco Nanopresso, which allows them to pull an Espresso on the go, with crema and everything!
The Bialetti Moka Pot is the most classic alternative for travel and camping for Espresso lovers. A Home Barista will love this classic coffee maker. Following the appropriate steps, this Moka Pot will create a rich, dense, and complex coffee cup. It would make a great gift combined with the right Espresso blend.
Thanks to illy and their gorgeous blend, the classic Espresso aroma can take your Home Barista friend to Italy. It has a conventional but rich taste. Pretty much as most of us imagine the fragrance and body of a proper Espresso.
Some Espresso lovers are obsessed with crema. There is some controversy about it, but if your friend loves crema, she’ll love the Lavazza Super Crema Blend.
The Death Wish and Valhalla Java Odinforce are great for any coffee lover who would like to try an unconventional blend.
Death Wish Coffee has become increasingly notorious for its high-caffeine content, while the Valhalla Java Odinforce Blend offers a smoother finish and a more complex taste. Additionally, they’re certified organic and fair trade products.
The Juan Valdez Cumbre Blend is one of my personal favorites for Espresso. Colombian coffee offers a very different taste and aroma, and your Home Barista friend will surely enjoy trying it.
Costa Rican volcanic terroirs add an impressive complexity to coffee beans. Café Britt Espresso Blend is a joy to try with its apple, dark chocolate, and floral notes.
Most US-grown coffee comes from Hawaii, but Kona coffee is the most valued varietal grown in the Hawaiian islands. As there is a lot of scammy “Kona” coffee in the market, the Royal Kona brand offers a certified 100% Kona bag of coffee.
Although the Baratza Encore is our favorite for any entry-level coffee lover, it’s arguably the best grinder for filter coffee at home. It’s reliable, consistent, easy to use, clean, and maintain. Moreover, Baratza Encore offers the best grind settings for most brewing methods.
If you’re curious about it, check our Baratza Encore Review.
The OXO Brew Grinder is a great and more affordable alternative. Still, it offers good enough grind settings for most brewing methods and even adds a nice touch to your friend’s counter space.
Hand grinding can be part of a slow-coffee morning ritual. It fits well with a Filter Coffee Samurai, who tends to be more patient about the whole brewing experience. The Hario Skerton Pro offers a top of the line capacity and quality, which is great for anyone brewing at home, especially for a Filter Coffee Samurai.
The Fellow Atmos is the best way to keep coffee beans as fresh as possible. Unlike most airtight containers, it removes air from the inside so that coffee beans can stay fresh for weeks. For freshness sake, pick matte versions, not the clear glass ones. Sunlight is terrible for coffee beans too!
A world-class electric pour-over kettle is the best gift for any Filter Coffee Samurai. The only way it doesn’t please her is because she has a Fellow Stagg EKG already. It’s beautiful, precise, and convenient.
The Barista Warrior Gooseneck Kettle is an excellent alternative to taking the coffee brewing ritual outdoors. Furthermore, it’s an overall affordable pour over kettle but includes a thermometer, which is very convenient. Filter Coffee Samurais love this feature because they can control temperature, which is crucial for any coffee brewing recipe.
The Hario Coffee Scale offers the precision we need to deliver consistent greatness and the necessary control making coffee with more complex brewing devices like the Chemex and the V60.
Since I learned about KeepCup a few years ago, I loved it. The glass cup with cork is elegant, resistant, and enhances the drinking experience. I love to have a KeepCup as part of my morning ritual, and your Filter Coffee Samurai might work as well.
This Hario Coffee Server is perfect for wood accents lovers. I love this Hario Coffee Server because it adds some organic style to the coffee brewing setting.
Most Filter Coffee Samurais love to experiment with different brewing methods and recipes. With this Coffee Passport Journal, it will be easier to record every tasting experience with a simple structure. It’s inexpensive yet original and will help your friend to elevate her performance and sensory skills.
Arguably, Chemex is the most elegant coffee maker. It’s sleek, and it creates the cleanest, sharpest cup of filtered coffee. Most of the resulting cup depends on the Chemex Filter, so don’t forget to include a few.
This Hario V60 Decanter is practical and sleek. Not suitable for all Filter Coffee Samurais, but the most practical ones. It’s plastic dripper stores the heat better than ceramic, and it’s easier to store and handle than most V60 sets.
The Hario V60 Pour Over Kit is an excellent gift for aspiring Filter Coffee Samurais. This Pour Over Kit includes everything your friend needs to start brewing like a pro. Moreover, everything included is top quality, yet it’s quite affordable. I wish someone would have given me this as a present!
The Melitta dripper is a classic pour-over device, which most coffee bloggers describe as more straightforward to use than Chemex and V60. Furthermore, the stainless thermal carafe is an excellent add-on. All Filter Coffee Samurais love to keep their coffee warm, so this is a gorgeous bundle.
The Kalita Wave Coffee Brewing Kit is a fantastic gift for rookies. It includes a Kalita Wave 185 ceramic dripper, a glass server, a bunch of filters, and a lovely coffee journal to record coffee tasting notes. The only downside about the notebook is that it’s referred to as Espresso on the cover, but inside it offers different alternatives to record brewings. It is not suitable for the most obsessive and perfectionist coffee lovers, but it’s a very nice add-on if you ask me.
If your Filter Coffee Samurai isn’t a starter, she still might not have a Kalita Wave Dripper. It’s an excellent dripper. It comes in plastic, metal, and ceramic and offers a rich, complex cup of coffee. I love to have it as one of my brewing devices.
Some Filter Coffee Samurais want a convenient shot from time to time. The Aeropress is the most famous of the alternative brewing devices around, and if your Filter Coffee Samurai doesn’t have one, it will be one of the best gifts possible. It’s simple, easy to use, and delivers some of the best cups of coffee I have tried. This set comes with a branded Tote Bag and some extra paper filters, which add a very nice touch for a gift.
The Bodum Chambord French Press is the most beautiful of them around. It has a classic look, top-quality build, and delivers top-quality coffee. With the appropriate technique and grinder, it provides world-class cups of coffee.
Most Filter Coffee Samurais would like to have this classic coffee maker. Following the appropriate steps, this Moka Pot will create a rich, dense, and complex coffee cup. It would make a great gift combined with a proper Espresso blend, like the ones I described before.
The Ethiopian Yirgacheffe is one of the most delightful coffees for filter coffee. I still remember the first time I tried one because it offers a lot of unconventional notes. Like most Ethiopian origins, it doesn’t taste like regular coffee, so it’s exciting and kind of surprising to taste it. Additionally, the Volcanica Coffee brand offers organic coffee, freshly roasted, and a very nice package.
The Jamaican Blue Mountain is some of the most legendary and pricey coffee varietals in the world. It has been among the most desired single origins on the planet for decades.
The Volcanica brand offers a traceable and reliable 100% Blue Mountain, which is very hard to find. The Blue Mountain offers unconventional notes, more fruity and acidic, with an intense aroma.
The Kona varietal is highly regarded in the Specialty coffee world. Yet, it isn’t as pricey nor famous as the Gesha or the Blue Mountain. Still, it’s a lovely gift for a Filter Coffee Samurai that values a coffee with an exotic origin.
The Juan Valdez Colina is an exciting blend for Filter Coffee Samurais. It’s prepared with a particular kind of single-seed beans, called “caracolito” in Colombia. Smaller and round, these coffee beans offer a more delicate aroma, with medium acidity and a balanced body.
Although the Juan Valdez brand is the most prominent Colombian brand internationally, Cafe Quindio is among my favorites. This bag is great for a gift. It’s a Colombian single-origin coffee, beautifully packed, with a unique profile that combines citric and honey-caramel notes.
The Vertuo is the most recent and versatile line of Nespresso machines. It offers a wider variety of coffee drinks, and the Aeroccino allows your Capsule Master to prepare delicious lattes and cappuccinos too.
The Nespresso Pixie is part of the original line, and it offers some of the most consistent quality for capsule coffee drinks. Simple, convenient, and sleek. It delivers as good as expected.
Even the most fanatic Capsule Master would think twice before taking her machine for travel. And it would be downright absurd for camping. Yet, this Wacaco Nanopresso Combo is an excellent choice for traveling with capsules. The regular Nanopresso works with finely ground coffee, but the NS adapter can pull an espresso drink out of your friend’s favorites coffee capsules.
I know many Capsule Masters who would love to have this storage drawer on their counter space or next to their Nespresso Machine. The tempered glass top adds to the visual experience, as we can see the colorful pods below. It holds 42 Nespresso Original Line Capsules, which is very convenient for most Capsule Masters.
Some of us would feel nervous about a glass-made base for a Nespresso Machine. If that’s your friend’s case, you might prefer to give this metal-made capsule drawer instead. It still looks great. It’s light and sleek. Furthermore, it has a better capacity, as it holds 60 capsules.
A spinning carousel is a stylish alternative for capsule storage. This one can hold 40 capsules, and it’s straightforward to use. It’s designed to be more space-efficient, and it’s an excellent option for smaller kitchens.
It’s 15” tall and 4” wide, so it’s very convenient, but still, try to check if it fits on your friend’s counter space before buying it.
This rotating rack version of the Nespresso Capsules holder offers 70 capsules storage, saves a lot of space, it’s light, and it’s easy to use.
It’s 12,5” high and 9,5” wide. It can take some counter space, but I think it’s great for heavy coffee drinkers.
This item is a Tempered Glass alternative for Vertuo Line Capsules. I loved the glass-made drawer for Original Line Capsules, so I needed to find one for Vertuo Line Capsules too.
Capsules
Nespresso Capsules are a great gift themselves. You only need to check if your friend has a Vertuo Line or an Original Line machine before buying. I have selected some of my Capsule Master friends favorites below so that you can have a pick:
The Krups is a familiar brand for a traditionalist, and this one is a high-quality coffee maker. It’s programmable, you can easily adjust the coffee strength, and it’s as durable as a coffee maker can be. Indeed, this is the most suitable for the most conservative coffee lovers, and it’s inexpensive.
Breville is another familiar home coffee maker brand, and the Precision Brewer is its world-class flagship. It offers adjustable brewing time and temperature, which won the Specialty Coffee Association certification for home brewing.
It looks great, it’s durable, and it has a wide range of coffee brewing settings at home. It’s hard to offer anything more than that. Well, it could be less expensive.
This Ninja coffee maker makes a great promise, and it delivers! It brews 12 cups of coffee, with a rich and even extraction. The removable water reservoir and the thermal carafe are convenient features that enhance the overall experience.
Anyone can appreciate a world-class coffee maker, and the Technivorm Moccamaster is one of the best home coffee makers in the market. The Specialty Coffee Association certified it as a Home Brewer, which isn’t a minor achievement. It can brew a lot of coffee (10 cups in 5 minutes approximately), it has a proprietary technology to brew coffee as it best, and comes in more different colors than most coffee makers.
It’ll make the best brew possible with freshly ground top-quality coffee. In other words, it’ll respect the magic inside of a great coffee bean, but it won’t make magic with a mediocre pre-ground coffee.
Grinders
Most Traditionalists Coffee Addicts will raise an eyebrow with a coffee grinder. I know that. But, some can be a Home Barista or a Filter Coffee Samurai, waiting to discover something great about coffee. It’s risky, but any coffee lover that tries freshly ground coffee finds it very hard to come back to pre-ground coffee horrors.
The Baratza Encore is our favorite for any entry-level coffee lover. It’s reliable, consistent, easy to use, clean, and maintain. Moreover, the Baratza Encore offers the best grind settings for most brewing methods. And yes, that can make a huge difference even with an automatic coffee maker.
The OXO Brew Grinder is a great and more affordable alternative. Still, it offers good enough grind settings for most brewing methods and even adds a nice touch to your friend’s counter space.
A great bundle for any coffee lover who would like to try an unconventional blend. Death Wish Coffee has become increasingly notorious for its high-caffeine content, while the Valhalla Java Odinforce Blend offers a smoother finish and a more complex taste. Additionally, they’re certified organic and fair trade products.
The Cumbre blend is intense but doesn’t challenge the most conservative palate. It has low acidity but intense dark chocolate and sweet notes. I love its intensity, and it’s great to share with any Traditionalist Coffee-Addict.
Since I learned about KeepCup a few years ago, I loved it. The glass cup with a cork band is elegant, resistant, and enhances the drinking experience. I love to have a KeepCup as part of my morning ritual, and I think that a Traditionalist Coffee Addict would love it too.
A thermal coffee carafe is a great gift for a Traditionalist Coffee Addict if she doesn’t have one already.
Anything you can do to keep coffee as hot as possible will make happy a Traditionalist Coffee Addict. They hate cold coffee, and you will save them from reheated coffee, which is an absolute no-no for anyone who likes to enjoy coffee at its best.
The Fellow Atmos is the best way to keep coffee beans as fresh as possible. Unlike most airtight containers, it removes air from the inside so that coffee beans can stay fresh for weeks. For freshness sake, pick matte versions, not the clear glass ones. Sunlight is terrible for coffee beans too!
Warning: It doesn’t work with pre-ground coffee.
Bonus: The Eccentric Coffee Lovers
Some people don’t like to fit inside any category. For the most rebellious, original coffee lovers, there are a few eccentricities they might enjoy:
FrankOne is one of the most innovative brewing devices in the market. It offers a smoother hot coffee taste with low bitterness and acidity. Yet, it provides the fastest cold brew, too: only 4 minutes!
I don’t understand how that is possible, but it’s fantastic. Furthermore, it’s an excellent option for travel and camping as it serves over a hundred coffee cups with a single charge. Any Eccentric Coffee Lover would love to have this one.
Cold Brew is among the most disruptive trends inside the coffee lovers’ world. And this Takeya Deluxe Cold Brew Coffee Maker is among the best options to prepare a proper one.
The Syphon Coffee Maker adds a mad scientist touch to any home coffee brewing setting. It screams eccentricity, and it’s among the most challenging brewing devices out there. So, a lazy eccentric won’t like a Syphon Coffee Maker. On the other hand, I can bet that a nerdy one will love it!
If you have more ideas about coffee lovers’ gifts contact us.
AUTHOR
Yker Valerio
I fell in love with coffee before I could even read, and my passion for this elixir has shaped my entire life. Through research and learning, I honed my knowledge of specialty coffee and espresso culture by seeking the advice of the most prominent coffee experts and researchers.
I have been fortunate enough to meet inspiring individuals, expand my knowledge, and cover exciting coffee-related topics in my writing.
My skill in translating complex facts into a reader-friendly style caters to coffee connoisseurs and newbie enthusiasts alike, so everyone can fully appreciate the richness and diversity of the world of coffee.
If you’re curious about it, check our Baratza Encore Review.
It’ll make the best brew possible with freshly ground top-quality coffee. In other words, it’ll respect the magic inside of a great coffee bean, but it won’t make magic with a mediocre pre-ground coffee.
If you have more ideas about coffee lovers’ gifts contact us.
Excellent project my friend! One of a kind, talking about, conceptually I mean. It’s very useful for any coffee lover ????
Thank you Gabriela, you’re one of a kind. I hope to have you back soon. Your feedback is truly helpful.
Thank you Cindee!