Photo courtesy of Masienda
Shopping for a coffee aficionado is no small task. They already have a morning ritual or a certain brewing method of choice. They might be particular about beans—whole, single-origin, medium roast, Fair Trade. (Maybe they want the most expensive coffee.) There’s no depth to their bean-based nerdom.
And yet, whatever brewing gear or gadgets they already have acquired, something new and shiny will always pique their interest. Such is the curious and rabid coffee consumer.
For those insufferable coffee lovers (us), some ideas for the holiday gifting season.
Masienda
Price: $20–$95
The LA-based treasury of masa may have made its name on heirloom corn, but don’t sleep on the recently launched coffee line. Two blends sourced from Guerrero, Oaxaca, and Veracruz, Alebrije, and Dalia, deliver lovely medium and dark-roasty flavors, respectively. If you want to gift coffee plus a little something extra, Masienda also has a rich brown mug—thick as a diner cup but with a subtly textured glaze—and speckled bird egg blue pour-over for solo drinkers (it comes in a set or individually).
Bottomless
Price: $7.99 per month
For the person who is always seeking out their next favorite roast, give them the gift that keeps giving: a coffee subscription. Bottomless was started by a few Seattle tech folks—so you know they take their coffee seriously. How it works: Bottomless sends a simple scale upon which you’ll place your coffee and the scale senses when you’re getting low, which will trigger a new order (always skippable if you happen to be up to your eyeballs in beans). You can customize your rotation or build a profile so the coffee bot chooses a new roast based on your preferences. It’s a pretty neat way to explore new flavors. And, per one preference setting, they won’t roast the beans till you order them—that’s pretty fresh.
Yield
Price: $55
The perfect union of form and function, this Glass French Press from Yield is as pretty as it is practical. It comes in striking colors such as cobalt, verde, smoky gray, amber, and a pristine clear. This is for the drinker who wants the table top to look as good as the coffee tastes.
Fellow Coffee Grinder
Price: $255–$345
Fellow recently debuted the second-generation of its Ode Brew Grinder, which is ideal for the precision-minded coffee drinker. Whether your gift recipient makes espresso or French press or Chemex, this grinder reduces beans into whatever coarseness your brewing method requires. It’s pretty on the countertop, but, more importantly, it’s a workhorse that’s easy to use and maintain.
Stelton
Price: $117
This stovetop coffee pot by Danish design house Stelton is inspired by the classic Italian Moka Pot. Good thing, then, that the Collar espresso maker was designed by two Italians, Daniel Debiasi and Federico Sandri. So if friends or family are rocking the iconic aluminum version but are ready for a stylish upgrade, look no further than the one they’ll want to leave out for all to see.
xBloom
Price: $799 (early-bird Kickstarter deal)
As much as we love the slow ritual of making coffee, sometimes—or most times, depending on your morning alertness—you want a good cup as fast as possible. Enter xBloom’s smart coffee machine. Not to be confused with the scourge-on-the-environment pod systems that use plastic components, xBloom uses biodegradable sugar fiber capsules to house whole beans sourced from small coffee roasters (Intelligentsia, Onyx, and Chromatic Coffee Co. to name a few) and directly from growers, too. Simply open each capsule, feed the beans to the built-in burr grinder, and xBloom will do the rest. (Design Milk breaks down the engineering and look much better than we can in a paragraph.) This is great for the ultimate coffee gadget nerd who loves an aesthetically minimalist countertop brewer.
Homesick
Price: $38
You can’t drink this one, sadly. With top notes of coffee and pine needles, this Seattle Candle is reminiscent of a drizzly day in the Pacific Northwest, where the only refuge is a cozy third wave coffee shop with single-origin pour-overs and expertly pulled espresso. For the coffee buff who has everything…except for a wintry candle.