Christmas is approaching and it’s time to start ordering presents! We’ve collated 50 incredible gifts for coffee lovers so you don’t have to go searching. We’ve sectioned the list out so you can click on any of the below titles and you’ll be taken directly to that section. Happy shopping!
Filter Coffee: Pour Over, French Press etc
Espresso, Cappuccinos, Lattes, Macchiatos etc
Grinders
Kettles
Coffee Beans
Coffee Gadgets
Books
Home Roasters
Filter Coffee.
In this section of our 50 incredible gifts for coffee lovers we focus on filter coffee. Pour overs, French press, Aeropress and anything else that involves slowly pouring water through coffee grounds.
Kalita Wave Dripper – The all rounder
Japanese craftsmanship at it’s finest and our favorite dripper at Vancouver Coffee Snob. Very easy to use and always consistent results with every type of coffee.
Don’t forget filters too, click here to buy filters
Chemex – The most beautiful
The most beautiful of all the drippers out there, the Chemex always gets comments when people see it on your counter. Expect a clean, bright cup of coffee when using it to brew.
Don’t forget filters too, click here to buy filters
Hario V60 Dripper – The most technical
The V60 is very commonly seen in coffee shops as it allows for the most control over your brew, however there is a learning curve involved. Perfect for those delicate, lighter roasts.
Don’t forget filters too, click here to buy filters
Aeropress – The most portable
Despite it’s odd looks, the Aeropress is a phenomenally efficient and user friendly way to make excellent coffee. It’s also very consistent, very portable and easy to clean. We take this camping with us and it barely adds weight to our pack.
Hario Siphon – The mad scientist
Channel your inner Breaking Bad with one of the most interesting looking coffee gadgets on the market. You’ll get a very clean coffee with no bitterness from a siphon.
Espro French Press – The Tried and Tested
Old faithful, the french press is easy to use, can make lots of coffee and needs very little effort. Espro takes that to the next level with their amazing filter and stunning looks. This is the best french press on the market.
Ottomatic Electronic Pour Over – The rich snobs dream
The cream of the crop – a Chemex pour over done electronically. Perfect coffee shop quality coffe every time.
Espresso etc
In the event that filter coffee is not their thing, one of the 50 incredible gifts for coffee lovers could be an espresso machine. We’ll take you through your options but remember that espresso machines come in at a much higher price than filter coffee.
If you’re buying whole beans and grinding them yourself be sure to choose a good grinder from our grinder section.
Bialetti Moka Pot
It’s technically not espresso but it’s as close as you’ll get to a proper shot without an electric machine to help you. And it’s really economical in price too.
Handpresso – Espresso on the go
A small handheld device for making espresso wherever you are. It’s even small enough to take camping and requires no power, as it’s all hand pressure generated.
Bellman Stovetop Steamer – For steaming milk
If you’re using one of the above two methods for espresso you may want to steam milk with it to make a latte, cappucino or any number of steamed milk drinks. The Bellman Stovetop Steamer gives you espresso machine steam without the price tag.
Gaggia Classic – Cheapest electric espresso machine
This is as cheap as you’ll want to go to get decent espresso at home with an electric machine (there’s cheaper but their all far, far from the quality you’ll get here). It’s a well respected machine that’s easy to use and creates consistent espresso shots.
Breville Barista Express – Best espresso machine with built in grinder
We use one of these at Vancouver Coffee Snob HQ and once you learn how to use it you can make some great espresso and some great latte art.
Rancillio SILVIA – Best budget espresso machine
Sitting at the top of the budget espresso machine throne, the SILVIA is an incredible workhorse with one of the most powerful steam wands on a small machine. Expect a learning curve that will end up with incredible results.
La Marzocco LINEA mini – Best high end home espresso machine
OK we don’t expect you’ll love anyone this much at Christmas but for those lottery winners out there we present to you our favorite high end home machine. There are better but not for this price tag. It’s coffee shop quality but fits in your kitchen.
Grinders
The grinder is an often overlooked part of the coffee process but it’s as important to have a good grinder as it is to have good brewing equipment. Here are our recommendations for hand and electric grinders.
Hario Slim Ceramic Burr Grinder – For grinding on top of a mountain
Our favorite little hand grinder produces solid results whilst being tiny enough to take camping.
Hario Skerton – For a cheap home workhorse
Slightly more expensive than it’s slimmer cousin above, it’s bulkier, has a larger capacity, is faster at grinding but much less portable. Overall it’s a great cheap workhorse for the home.
ROK Grinder – For when you must grind all the things
A beast of a product and sexy as hell, the ROK grinder rivals commercial grade grinders, but doesn’t have anywhere close to the same price tag.
Baratza Encore – The best budget electric grinder
There are many other electric grinders out there that are cheaper but do not get suckered into buying them, they’re all terrible compared to this incredible and well priced beauty. You’ll never get close to the quality of the Baratza encore for the same price. We use one at Vancouver Coffee Snob HQ.
Baratza Sette – All hail king of the home grinders
It’s pricey but it’s the best you can get for the money. The quality is that of some $2000+ grinders, it’s beautiful and the features are amazing. The only catch – they’re very hard to get hold of as they sell out so quickly.
Kettles
No coffee drink would be complete without adding hot water to the ground beans and for that you’ll need a kettle. Our personal preference is electric, so you can set the exact temperature, but a stove top version works well too. Here are our favorite kettles in our 50 incredible gifts for coffee lovers list.
Hario V60 Buono 1.2L – Heated on the stovetop
This stove top kettle is the industry standard goose neck kettle you’ll see in lots of cafes and coffee shops around the world. Perfect for controlling your pour and great build quality.
Bonavita 1L Variable Temperature – Heated electrically
A true workhorse, this is the industry standard electric kettle. Great build quality, amazing customer service in the rare event you get issues and the ability to set the exact temperature of your water is a must for any self respecting snob. As you can guess, we have this at Vancouver Coffee Snob HQ.
Coffee Accessories and Gadgets
This section has the rest of what you might need, that doesn’t fit into any other categories. Plus we’ve added in some of our favorite gadgets too.
Keep Cup
The best ‘to go’ glass coffee cup that’s on the market. Stylish, efficient and comfortable it’s no surprise we use this cup for taking coffee in the car.
Stojo Cup
Our goto travel cup, the stojo is a collapsable coffee mug that you can keep in your pocket, then expand to full size when you need to use it. Amazing technology and amazing company.
Self Stirring Mug
Have no arms? No spoons? Too lazy even if you did? Then the self stirring mug is for you!
USB Warming Coaster
This USB powered coaster will keep your coffee warm by heating it from below. Perfect for your desk at work.
Latte Art Bear Maker
Create 3D bears on top of your lattes with this clever gadget.
Jennings CJ4000 Scale
Very popular in many coffee shops and for good reason, the Jennings CJ4000 is a dream to use and can be plugged into the mains when you run out of batteries.
Reg Barber Espresso Tamp
Local boy Reg Barber creates arguably the best tampers in the business and you can customise the grip on them with many types of beautiful woods.
Coffee Beans
No list would be complete without some recommendations for coffee beans. We’re going to keep them as local as possible here, so I’d advise heading out to your local cafes to buy them.
49th Parallel Coffee Roasters
The undisputed kings of Vancouver, their coffee is always of the highest quality and consistent every time. You can buy their beans at their two Vancouver stores, or any number of Supermarkets (Protip – buy them from a cafe to ensure they’re extra fresh).
Try their Honduran Benedicto.
Groundswell Coffee Roasters
Local coffee with heart! Groundswell Coffee Roasters makes extra effort to provide for social outreach programs as well as making amazing coffee.
Try their espresso blend.
Moving Coffee
Arguably the best roaster in Vancouver, but comes at a slightly higher price. Definitely suitable for the snobbiest of coffee drinkers.
Try the Sweet Blossom filter coffee.
Click here to buy
Click here for out review of Moving Coffee
Bows and Arrows Coffee Roasters
Incredible coffee from incredible people that are relative newcomers to Vancouver.
Try their espresso blend.
Click here to buy
Click here for our review of Bows and Arrows
Pallet Coffee Roasters
An East Van success story, Pallet roaast some of our favorite coffee in Vancouver and have some incredible staff.
If they have anything from Ethiopia, try that.
Sudden Coffee
This is not local but it’s a very interesting type of instant coffee that could make a great gift. Pretty much the best coffee money can buy, without grinding beans.
Click here for more information
Books and Magazines about Coffee
If your giftee already has all the coffee gadgets, gizmos and beans they need, why not surprise them with a coffee book or magazine.
Brew Better Coffee At Home
An absolute must for the home coffee brewer. This book will take you through all sorts of different coffee brewing methods and even throws in some cocktail recipes!
God in a cup
A great rundown on specialty coffee including some of the major players from the USA.
Drift Magazine
Hands down the most beautiful photo/coffee magazine on the shelves. We pay for a subscription but you can often pick up the magazine for sale individually in coffee shops.
Roasting Equipment
OK so you’re buying for someone that has every bit of brewing equipment under the sun? How about getting them into home roasting? We take you through the recommended roasters for getting started. For green beans be sure to check out www.u-roast-it-coffee.ca.
Old Time Whirly Pop – Basic Home Roaster
Nothing fancy here but it’s what we got started on in Vancouver Coffee Snob HQ!
Nesco Professional – Intermediate Home Roaster
Getting a bit more elaborate here, this is a basic electric roaster.
Behmor 1600 – Advanced Home Roaster
This is an advanced roaster, meaning it’s much more accurate and easier to use than the above methods. You can get some incredible roast results with this little powerhouse.
