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10 Gift Ideas for Obsessive Coffee Freaks
Credit: Akira Kaelyn - Shutterstock

Some people are just too hard to buy for. You know the type. They’re really into something, and they’re really particular about it. Gamers and bookworms come to mind, but the same applies to people who are really into coffee.

Don’t let that stop you. If you want to gift something to the coffee lover in your life, please do it. We’ll give you plenty of great recommendations for all sorts of coffee fans (from someone who has just graduated from Starbucks Frappuccinos to someone who insists on grinding their own beans every morning).

But before we begin, it pays to know your audience, so ask yourself some questions to gauge where they are in their caffeine journey. Do they make their own coffee every morning? Do they use an automatic machine? Do they favor a particular brewing method? Find the answers, and go from there.

A good coffee subscription service

A good coffee subscription service
Credit: Trade Coffee

What can you gift a coffee lover who already has a coffee bar set up? New coffee of course. But choosing a good coffee for someone can be tricky. This is where coffee subscription services come in—and keep coming, every week or month.

Here are our recommendations, chosen from among many, many available online.

  • Atlas Coffee Club: For someone who wants to try new and different coffees from across the world.

  • Trade Coffee: Trade coffee has a personalized gift subscription that matches coffee based on your giftee’s preferences.

  • Yes Plz: Yes Plz is another popular coffee roaster that provides new coffee beans on a weekly basis, and is particularly praised for their consistent quality control.

A nice coffee table book about coffee

A nice coffee table book about coffee
Credit: Square Mile Coffee Roasters

James Hoffman is the YouTube god of coffee. If your friend is even slightly into coffee, chances are they have come across one of many Hoffman videos. But before all that, Hoffman wrote a universally acclaimed book called The World Atlas of Coffee.

In his book, Hoffman explains the entire journey of coffee, from beans to cup. Also, you get to take a ride to coffee plantations across the world. This is a worthy addition to the bookshelf (or coffee table) of any coffee lover.

A sexy temperature-controlled kettle

A sexy temperature-controlled kettle
Credit: Fellow

If you know someone who’s into manual brewing (they have uttered the words “pour-over” more than a couple of times), it’s a great idea to give them a Fellow Stagg EKG electronic temperature pour-over kettle ($159).

That’s a lot of words. What it means is this is an electronic kettle with precise temperature control and a gooseneck spout, both of which are required to make good pour-overs. Plus, it looks damn hot sitting on anyone’s kitchen counter.

A coffee grinder

A coffee grinder
Credit: Fellow

If your giftee has complained about buying pre-ground coffee, this gift will make their year. Bonus points, they’ll think of you every morning.

Grinders are available at all budget levels, but if you can spare some cash, we recommend the Fellow Ode coffee grinder for $299. It not only looks great, but its burr is capable of providing evenly ground coffee that rivals professional equipment that costs thousands of dollars.

If you don’t have that much to spend, go with the Baratza Encore ($169). It’s universally considered the best beginner grinder (it’s what we use ourselves).

A Chemex

A Chemex
Credit: Chemex

This is the only coffeemaker we’ll recommend, because it’s just as much of a style statement.

Chemex ($45) is a decades-old pour-over coffeemaker. It’s aesthetic, but not as practical as, say, Hario’s V60. Still, it’s something you can, and should, gift someone who already has their coffee bar set up.

An automatic pour-over machine that doesn’t suck

An automatic pour-over machine that doesn’t suck
Credit: Ratio

Filter coffee machines suck. Everyone knows that. You see them everywhere, from 24-hour delis, to office kitchens. But they don’t have to be bad. There are now a couple of automatic coffee makers that actually do a damn good job of making delicious coffee.

The Ratio Six machine ($345) is quite a popular choice. It’s a simulated pour-over machine that essentially makes an artisanal pour-over for you, with controlled water flow, temperature control, and more. It can brew up to 8 cups of coffee at once.

A most stylish travel tumbler

A most stylish travel tumbler
Credit: MiiR

Anyone who swears by brewing their own coffee needs a travel tumbler (or two, or three) to take their coffee with them wherever they are headed.

This is where MiiR Flip Traveller comes in. It’s an insulated travel tumbler that keeps the coffee hot or cold for up to 4 hours. It also has a flip top that makes easy to imbibe while you’re on your way to work.

A cold brew system

A cold brew system
Credit: OXO

Making a cold brew is trivially simple. You mix ground coffee with water and let it sit overnight. Making consistently great cold brew, however, is quite the opposite. But if you know someone who loves their cold brews, here’s a gift they’ll really appreciate.

The OXO Brew Compact Cold Brew Maker ($30) is a small, kitchen top cold brew maker that yields 16 ounces of cold brew concentrate that can be used to make many cold brew drinks.

Two things make this brewer special. First, the rainmaker design ensures even water distribution, and thanks to the filtration system, the cold brew will be less acidic.

An air-tight coffee bean capsule to keep beans fresh

An air-tight coffee bean capsule to keep beans fresh
Credit: Airscape

Coffee that’s left laying around, even in its re-sealable packaging, goes bad (or rancid) in a couple of days/weeks. To keep coffee fresh, you need to store it in airtight containers. And Airscape makes airtight ceramic canisters for just this purpose.

A smart coffee mug to keep the coffee hot

A smart coffee mug to keep the coffee hot
Credit: Ember

Specialty coffee isn’t supposed to be near-boiling hot. And it goes cold pretty quickly. This means there’s a very small window where the coffee is at its most-enjoyable flavor profile.

The Ember Mug 2 ($130) does a good job of stretching that window. It’s quite an expensive, smart, temperature-controlled coffee mug that keeps the coffee hot (between 120°F - 145°F) for up to 80 minutes. The Ember Mug has a battery of its own, and you can set the perfect temperature using the Ember app. (We said it didn’t appear on any other gift guides, but we lied.)