The Christmas Coffee Gift Guide 2016

Christmas time! But what should you get for that coffee loving geek in your circle of friends or family? Below some ideas for gifts that any coffee lover would like to receive.

Five Elephant 

 Coffee EU8-50
Coffee, it's always a good idea. Most roasters or coffee subscriptions have some awesome coffee beans on sale during Christmas.

Any good artisan coffee roaster will do, so go and find your local coffee roaster, dealing in the lovely product of specialty coffee and buy some beans.
Try not to buy too long in advance, as coffee beans are better when freshly roasted.

If you are looking online, these are some awesome options for you.

Mad Cap

Five Elephant has an amazing tin filled with coffee goodness, called the Holiday Box. Most awesome of this box is that you decide what it contains! Completely customisable, completely your choice to put in what you know your coffee friend loves. Plus, you get a very useful and artsy tin box as well.

Madcap has a box of Ethiopia. The country where coffee originates from, known for its unique floral and fruity, tea-like notes. This box is filled with 8 different producers in smaller (again, reusable) tins.

Talor and Jorgen is a new roastery in Oslo, Norway. Besides their super inspiring and cheerful packaging, that will bring smiles to everyone opening their post, they have some great coffees. And what better way to stay within the Christmas spirit by helping a new business starting up and gifting some great tasting coffee to a friend? Just fill in their google form and order away!

The Coffeevine

The Coffeevine, a coffee subscription that provides the receiver with great coffees from great roasteries from all over Europe every month, has a specially selected Christmas edition, with not just coffee.

Commandante

Commandante Grinder EU+/-230

When you have coffee beans, you need a grinder. One hand grinder grinding away this year into the hearts of coffee lovers is the German-made Commandante. It's quite expensive, but it is soooooo good! It's easy to adjust, looks good and it can grind for any method you wish, from espresso to french press.
Find your local dealers on the Commandante website.

 Ibrik EU5-160
The commandante grinder is so good it can even grind for Ibrik, which requires a very fine grind size, a Turkish (although you can find similar ways of making coffee all over the world) way of making coffee. The Specialty Coffee community has been exploring this way of making of coffee for a while now, even organising international championships.



These little pots can be found quite easily, either in a thrift store, or online on ebay, etsy or an other online platform.

Traditionally the Ibrik or cezve is made on hot sand, and you can buy a set for this as well on the SCAE website.

Brew tutorials galore as well, from recipes including spices and sugar and those without. A little YouTubing will go a long way.

Think Geek

French Press EU40
From one extreme grind size to the next, the French Press is a classic and if your coffee friend does not only geek over coffee, but also really enjoys Star Wars, do not look any further and buy this cute R3-D3 pot, available on Think Geek.

Keep Cup EU19-29

Keep Cup

Looking for a brew tutorial? Check out the tutorial on this blog. And if you are looking for a cup to match, look no further than Keep Cup's Star Wars cup. Not really into the Star Wars theme? But a reusable cup still seems like a good idea? On the Keep Cup website you can also design you own cup, with prices starting at EU12,40, although personally I would spend a little more and get a glass cup. It just tastes better.



Book EU20
A coffee book that came out this year is the SCAE (Specialty Coffee Association of Europe) Sensory Foundation book.
And it has been highly received. This book can be found on the CoffeeMind website and contains an introduction into sensory methodology for the coffee professional.
As a coffee professional myself, more information on taste and flavour is always interesting. And as it came out this year, there is still a chance your coffee loving friend does not have a copy yet!

 Posters EU15 - 18
Posters, for next to your grinder, in the shop, behind the roaster, or just above the bed. Coffee has some great posters that are both educational and friendly on the eyes.

Square Mile's Coffee Variety Family Tree Line is a tree of coffee varieties and at the same time contains a timeline of their evolution and creation.

2016 was also the year that the Specialty coffee industry launched a new flavour wheel, completely based in science. The resource was
created in collaboration with the World Coffee Research Sensory Lexicon and is the product of a league of professional sensory scientists, panelists, coffee buyers and cuppers and roasting companies. Not only that, but the wheel was also designed by professionals. To learn more about the design of the flavour wheel, watch this presentation online.

Want to go all out? Print out the lexicon on which the flavour wheel is based and get it binded into a beautiful book. You can download it for free here, so all you have to pay are binding costs.

Trinkets EU5-25
Looking for some stocking fillers? Etsy is your biggest friend. From odd coffee cups, to posters, simple brew methods, socks for all kinds of coffee accesories and jewelry, you can find anything you want.

These three are the ones I loved most. How cute is this little mocha pot stamp? Or this key chain of the chemical structure of caffeine? Simple, clean and kind of cool.
If you are looking for something a little bit more gimmicky, this Lego Larry the Barista will do the trick. Out right ghastly, but still a lot of fun.

I wish you happy shopping, merry Christmas and a fantastic New Year filled with amazing opportunities, lovely friends and the tastiest coffees!

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Still not sure what to buy for your coffee friend? Check out my previous coffee gift guides for further inspiration.

pictures are of the webshop listed in the article