Luxist Holiday Guide: Gifts for the Coffee Lover
Gift giving is a lot easier when your giftee has specific interests. While coffee isn't exactly an interest per-se, a coffee-lover will always appreciate a coffee related gift. And there are a lot of them to choose from, from appliances to beans, and every one on our list of favorites is sure to perk them up this holiday season.
A great gift is a high quality conical burr grinder. Even if your coffee lover who already grinds their own beans - which is the very easiest way to ensure that you're getting all the flavor you can from them - can benefit from the increase precision offered by a machine like the KitchenAid Pro Line Burr Coffee Grinder. $200.
The Gaggia Achilles Espresso Machine is a good choice for those who are serious about making espresso. The machine is lever-operated, so the user controls just about every bit of the process that goes into producing their shots. Price: $1,500.
It will be tough to find a better home espresso machine than the La Spaziale S1 Vivaldi II unless you want to shell out for a top-of-the-line commercial model. It monitors (and can adjust)
everything from the pressure to the temperature and has a built-in 7-day timer if you want to set up the machine to be ready at specific times of the day without leaving it on 24/7. Price: $1,900.
.
For the on-the-go coffee lover, or one who isn't that interested in espresso, an all-in-one coffee machine is a good choice. The Capresso CoffeeTEAM Grind & Brew will do everything for you and can be set on a timer so you will never have to go without coffee even in a rush. The thermal carafe has the added advantage of keeping coffee hot and fresh for hours. Price: $300.

Although using a quality grinder (as mentioned above) is crucial to making good coffee, it is even more important to start with fresh beans. When store-bought won't cut it, you can order green beans direct and roast them at home with a roaster like the iRoast 2 Home Coffee Roaster. Reliable and easy to use and the flavor you get from the beans will be unrivaled by anything you can buy at most coffee shops, let alone at the market. Price: $180.
The Francis Francis! X5 introductory kit is a nice way to introduce someone just getting into espresso to it
at a good price. The kit includes a Francis Francis! X5 espresso machine, the Rufus Willis espresso cup set of four, illy sugar sticks and machine cleaner for only $195. The only "catch" is that you also have to buy a 12-month coffee subscription, but since you need the coffee to work the machine, it's not a bad deal!
Terrior Coffee has some of the best beans you can buy, changes their selection frequently, and roasts them just before shipping for maximum freshness. A gift pack from Terrior is a wonderful option for someone who likes to experiment with their coffees and try limited edition flavors. Price varies, but the Grand Coffees of the World collection is $45 for three bags.
Everyone who drinks coffee already has coffee mugs, by why not add a set of Serse Freddo Glasses to the coffee lover's cabinet? Unlike most coffee or espresso cups, these are made for serving iced drinks and coffee desserts, like affogato. Price: $60 for a gift box of two and a can of illy coffee.
For hot espresso drinks, you really do need a set of quality espresso cups.
We still like the double-walled Bodum glasses, but our favorites from this year were the Geo Espresso cups for their unique designs. Price: about $108 (£55).
.
For the coffee lover who already has everything, give them a trip to the Yunessun Spa
in Japan where they can bathe in coffee, as well as in sake or green tea, and soak in the skin-rejuvenating effects of the caffeine.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Mike Beversluis Dec 4th 2006 6:14PM
I think the KitchenAid is pretty nice grinder, but you might consider the Macap M5 too. It's a 25 lb Rolls Royce of a grinder.
Also, the spring-loaded Elektra Micro Casa lever machine is just as blingy as the Gaggia, but its design helps to get a more consistent squeeze shot-to-shot.