Since 2020 has been a year of staying home, figuring out holiday gifts may be a bit of a challenge. To reduce uncertainty, consider contributing to the recipient’s daily activities. If you know someone who starts each day with coffee, consider boosting their caffeine experience.
Keeping it Hot
A quality travel mug, or even a sipping mug, that’s properly insulated and able to hold the heat to the bottom of each cup will be a welcome treat. From mugs that allow you to choose the temp via app to high-quality thermal mugs that road well, you can find a cup that your favorite coffee fan can use daily and think of you.
Focus on Flavor
There are coffee plantations all over the world. The plants thrive in an equatorial environment, and Hawaiian coffee is especially treasured because it is grown in volcanic soil. Each island boasts its own coffee plantation. In addition, Hawaiian peaberry coffee is particularly treasured. Standard coffee beans are shaped like peanuts and split into two when the husk is removed. Peaberry coffee batches are made from single berry formation and offer a sweeter flavor upon roasting.
For the DIYer
The process of roasting your own coffee beans is becoming more popular. However, this does include the risk of generating a lot of smoke. Your favorite fan of DIY projects as well as coffee might appreciate a coffee roasting machine, or at least a popcorn popper to start. However, home roasters swear by the quality of flavor they enjoy after roasting their beans to “first crack” and beyond.
Pour Over and French Press Setups
Fans of both pour-over coffee and French Press coffee swear by this method. A pour-over set can be as simple as a Chemex stand with a carafe, a teapot, and filters. Be ready to fall in love with the wide variety of pour-over carafes, as these pieces are both ideally functional and quite beautiful on the countertop. A good French Press can be found in a variety of sizes. If giving a French Press to a coffee fan, consider including a bag of good beans and a mortar and pestle, or a burr grinder if it’s in the budget.
Cold Brew Coffee
One of the yummiest ways to enjoy coffee at any point in the day is a nice glass of cold brew. There are many disagreements over whether the best flavor is made by dripping or infusing. Infused cold coffee can be made in a pitcher with a filter cone insert or via drip brew, so make sure you know the preference of your recipient. Tall pitchers with an infusion insert work well for both coffee and tea brewing, fit well in the refrigerator and work well to serve the beverage, so those are a good bet if you’re not sure.
Consider a Subscription
If your coffee-loving recipient already has all the tools imaginable, consider treating them to a coffee subscription. There are many producers, and even some plantations, that will allow you to purchase a subscription to try a variety of coffees from one region or coffees from all over the world. Before you buy, make sure of:
- format: Bean or ground?
- roast: Green, light, dark, or anything in between?
- frequency: monthly is most common, but a customization is an option
Coffee does age, so make sure your recipient will be able to drink up the gift coffee and not have to risk flavor loss while it sits in the freezer or refrigerator.
Containers
While there are a lot of opinions on how to store coffee, everyone recommends an airtight container that protects the beans from UV light. If you’re really not sure what to get them, a great bag of beans and a quality container that can store anywhere will be put to use quickly by your favorite coffee fan. Make sure it’s truly airtight to protect the quality of any beans they store.
Coffee is a habit that helps a lot of the world to wake up and tackle what needs doing. Making it can be a comforting ritual that starts the day off right. By contributing to this starting ritual, you can be remembered fondly by your favorite coffee fan, first thing every day.
