Coffee drinkers are a diverse bunch, and it can sometimes be intimidating to figure out what they like. Some find happiness in the art of drinking, while others geek out over controlling the many variables of a brew. But fret not, we’ve got you covered! Skip the mug and gift certificates this year, and instead, read through our list of gifts that are perfect for the coffee lover of every persuasion!
Kurasu Coffee Subscription
Perfect for: The Coffee Collector
Japan is one of Asia’s best destinations for a coffee crawl, with established giants like Blue Bottle Coffee and Verve setting up shop among homegrown specialty coffee bars and traditional kissatens. With the pandemic severely limiting international travel, Kurasu can send you the best the country has to offer! Their monthly Coffee Subscription ships worldwide, and you can choose how much coffee you receive from Kurasu’s offerings, or a combined set with their Partner Roaster of the month. The latter option features the best roasters in all of Japan, including Onibus Coffee, Lilo Coffee Roasters, Trunk Coffee Bar, and many more.
Starts at 3500JPY (about $34) for a 200g bag / Kurasu Kyoto
The World Atlas of Coffee (2nd Edition)
Perfect for: The Bibliophile Barista
Comprehensive yet easy to read, The World Atlas of Coffee is the quintessential coffee book that should be in every coffee-lover’s collection. From coffee origin, terroir and flavour, roasting process, to brewing dynamics, there’s something to be picked up by both beginners and enthusiasts alike. The author is current Internet coffee darling, James Hoffmann, who is also a former World Barista Champion. The same signature approach used in his YouTube videos and barista routines are evident in this publication, with his trademark style of breaking down even the most intimidating topics into useful and easy-to-understand tidbits of information.
£22 (about $29) / Square Mile Coffee
Aeropress by Aerobie
Perfect for: The Budding Brewer
Looking to gift someone with their very first brewer? There might be no better option than an Aeropress! This oldie-but-goodie is popular with coffee enthusiasts worldwide, with mile-high clubs and world competitions created to celebrate this versatile brewer. It’s affordable, easy to brew with, and near-indestructible—we have team members at Morning still using Aeropresses that are nearly a decade old!
$29.95 / Aeropress
Ode Brew Grinder by Fellow
Perfect for: The Fan of Freshness
Give the gift of fresh coffee to that friend who still buys pre-ground beans! This burr grinder from Fellow uses café-quality components in a sleek, countertop-friendly package. Huge 64mm burrs mean quick and quiet grinding, and a single-dosing hopper on top encourages the user to grind only what they need.
$299 / Fellow
Flair NEO Espresso Maker
Perfect for: The Espresso Enthusiast
While manual filter brewing has become a popular hobby for coffee enthusiasts, espresso is still mostly a café drink due to its complexity and larger equipment investment. Flair Espresso aims to change that, with their line of home-friendly espresso makers. The NEO is their most affordable offering, which combines the ingenious design of their older models, with its sheer ease of use. According to the company, the NEO will work with “any grinder you have—from high end burr grinders to less expensive bladed grinders.”
$119 / Flair Espresso
Nanofoamer by Subminimal
Perfect for: The Latte Lover
While there are a number of capable home espresso makers, well-textured milk still seems to be possible only with commercial espresso machines. The newly-funded Nanofoamer builds on the cheap handheld milk frother, with a durable build and fancy modular screen technology that allows you to make any level of froth and texture that you wish—from creamy cappuccinos to silky flat whites, complete with latte art on top!
39 SGD (around $29) / Pre-order via Subminimal
The Morning Machine
Perfect for: The Tech-savvy Tinkerer
Capsule machines are the kings of fuss-free espresso-brewing. The Morning Machine gives you that, and much, much more. The one-touch “Quick Brew” allows you to brew using pre-set recipes on the machine, or should you want to geek out, you can set the brew temperature, pressure profile, and target output weight with the companion app to achieve that perfect flavour profile. And in case that wasn’t enough, you can update your device over-the-air and get cool future features such as using the spout to brew into a single-serve drip bag! This truly is the ultimate capsule brewer, and possibly also the perfect gift for the coffee person who already has everything.
459 SGD (around $343) / Pre-order via Morning
Words by Jon Choi @theheadbean