Making coffee at home can be fun and affordable. It’s much cheaper than visiting the local coffee shop on a daily basis. But it does take some investment to get it started. It doesn’t have to break the bank, and much of what is needed can be purchased for under fifty dollars. So I thought this would be an excellent list of gift ideas for any occassion; Christmas, birthday, housewarming, newlyweds, etc.
The Aeropress is an amazing little coffee maker that works great at home, in the office, or in the great outdoors. You can make a delicious cup of coffee. Because it is entirely made up of plastic, it is a great travel companion. There are a ton of great recipes to go with, but this inverted one will get you started. This is the device I recommend to people new to manual coffee making at home. It is easy and simple to clean.
You can get a scale for less than this one, but this one serves two purposes. It will obviously weigh your coffee grounds and water but it will also keep time for you. This eliminates the need to use your watch or phone to time your coffee brewing. I used to have a smaller simpler scale and would have to mind my phone to keep an eye on the time. It was more complicated thatn it sounds, especially when you are trying to pour hot water carefully all at the same time. This scale really simplifies the process.
This has been my go to grinder for some time now. It is reliable and easy to use. I recently discovered that mason jars fit the grinder as well which helps if you are going to grind before heading out to work or for the day ahead. This conical ceramic burr grinder delivers a consistent grind and it really lends itself to better tasting coffee. I have had mine for several years now and use it a few times a day. It is still going strong.
A gooseneck kettle is extremely important if you want to control the flow and rate of water more carefully. This is very important if you are making coffee via a pourover. I couldn’t make a great v60 pourover without it. This another piece of hardware that I have had for several years. It can be heated over stovetop or simply add hot water to it from a standard electric kettle.
The Hario iced coffee maker is a great bang for your buck gift because it can be used to make iced or hot coffee. Iced coffee is not cold brewed coffee and that’s OK! This is a complete set with a v60 pourover and carafe for collecting your coffee. It’s such a good deal that I could add it to a future list of gifts for under 20 bucks! I have a full review right here.
The Kalita Wave is another great pourover method that may in fact be easier to master than the Hario v60 method. Instead of one larger hole on the bottom, the Kalita has 3 smaller holes that allow for more control allowing less variance or reliance on the skill of the user. You will also need a nice carafe to catch all that coffee and there are many options out there.
Bonus: Angel’s Cup Black Box
I am a monthly subscriber to Angel’s Cup, but you can get someone started with no strings attached by purchasing a single box. The 4 mystery bags are fun to taste and rate(they have an app for that). This is a great way to test your taste buds and surprise yourself with something new.
No matter the occassion, coffee is a great gift to those that are sentimental about their coffee. These items are just a few of the many that are out there, but these are the ones that I highly recommend. Let’s talk coffee sometime on Twitter, Instagram, or Google Plus. I’m always up for some coffee talk.
USCarlos 