CoffeeNate 24 :: Exceptional Coffee Gift Ideas!

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Welcome back to CoffeeNate.com for my holiday coffee gift ideas special!  With all of the hustle and bustle, wouldn’t you rather have the gifts automatically shipped to your door for cheaper than going out into the crowds?  I know that is what I prefer, and each year I do the vast majority of my shopping online.   To help you out, I’ve come up with a few recommendations for anyone on your list that likes, loves, or otherwise appreciates coffee on some level.  You should also know that I own and love all of the gifts that I am recommending!  These are also great ideas for that really difficult person to buy for, you know the one that already has everything and doesn’t spare themselves from anything.  These are somewhat unique gifts for the ordinary coffee drinker.  You can browse the gifts I’m talking about in the above widget, but I’ll list each one for you below.  I wanted to keep the prices low, while keeping the quality of the merchandise high.  Most items are below $50 and will bring a smile to their faces and a warmth to their bellies

Bodum Chambord 8-Cup Coffee Press

This is the French Press by which all others are measured!  A press pot brews a highly tasty cup of coffee when paired with great coffee.  It’s extremely easy to use and is capable of brewing enough coffee to share.  Simply put the grinds right into the pot, add hot water, let steep for 4 minutes and then push the plunger down.  Done!  You will find this same press in stores for more than $50, so purchasing here is much more cost effective.

AeroPress Coffee & Espresso Maker

The AeroPress looks like a syringe for horses, but it really is a coffee brewer.  It is a unique design that uses a combination of pressure extraction, as well as filtering.  It produces a very smooth and clean cup of coffee that is reported by some to be easier on the digestive system than some other brewing methods.  I have yet to meet someone who has tried the AeroPress that did not agree that it makes a super cup of coffee.  The AeroPress is likely not in your local store, but you can purchase it online for less than $30.

Planetary Design Commuter Double-Shot Stainless Steel French Press Mug

A travel mug and a french press coffee brewer all in one!  I use this baby at work (that’s why it wasn’t in the vid) and I love it.  I’m the only one that drinks coffee in my area and this is perfect for me.  The lid has a plunger attached to it, you simply scoop some coffee right into the mug, add hot water, put the lid on, and push the plunger down 4 minutes later.  Now you have a flavorful cup of coffee, and you don’t have to share   This particular model has a compartment in the bottom with a little cup that you can store another cup’s worth of coffee grinds in.  These mugs are available in many fun colors and will be sure to be a hit.

Bialetti Moka Express Stovetop Espresso Maker

This is a really cool brewer!  I covered this method in my “How to make great coffee while camping” episode.  This pot is steel, so it won’t get broken by your ten year old son… lol  Okay, I’m over it… really.  Anyway, the Moka pot makes you a really rich and flavor packed pot of coffee.  It is also known as a ’stovetop espresso maker’, but it isn’t espresso.  Authentic espresso is brewed at 15 atm of pressure and this pot cannot do it.  Although it’s not really espresso, it is one of my favorite brewing methods as it contacts the coffee at the ideal temperature…dummy proof!  I’ve seen these in stores for almost $100, but it is much cheaper at Amazon.

Breville BCG450XL Conical Burr Grinder

The coffee grinder may actually be more important in the brewing process than the brewer itself!  Every brewing method requires it’s own degree of grinding, meaning the grinds have to be a particular uniform size to properly extract the flavors of the coffee without leaving the coffee bland or bitter.   Press pots need coarsely ground coffee, while espresso machines require a very fine grind.  This precision cannot be achieved with a blade grinder…ever.  This particular grinder is a ‘conical’ burr grinder, which is the only type of grinder that can produce the precise amount of grinding you need.  I’ve owned this particular model for the last nine months, and I’ve used it multiple times per day and it still works like the day I bought it.  From espresso to press pot, it does the job like a champ, and for a fraction of the price of higher end models.

Bodum Santos Stovetop Glass Vacuum / Siphon Pot Coffee Maker

Here it is…my favorite!  I love this brewer, and everyone that comes over for a cup of coffee comments on the great tasting coffee that it creates, and that it looks like drug paraphernalia .  This coffee maker gets its name from the way the water shoots from the bottom chamber to the top, like a siphon, but then when it is removed from the heat source, the liquid is actually drawn into the bottom like a vacuum.  This way of making coffee is similar to the french press in that the coffee steeps in the water, but you can use a finer grind, which produces a fuller taste profile.  There is a nylon filter between the two chambers that simply removes the grinds, without removing any of the flavorful oils from your brew.  You’ll save a bundle buying this brewer here.

Breville 800ESXL Commercial 15-Bar Triple-Priming Die-Cast Espresso Machine

Okay, this is my new favorite toy!  As I’ve told you before, an espresso machine requires 15 atm of pressure to create a true espresso.  Those little steam driven machines just can’t do it.  I really like this machine and it makes tasty espresso every time.  You can spend anywhere from a couple of hundred to a few thousand dollars on an espresso machine.  This one is listed at $499, but you will find that it is much more affordable here.  Let’s put this in perspective for a minute.  If you have a one a day latté addiction, this machine will pay for itself in a few months, saving you money for years.  My next video is a tutorial on how to use this machine.

Coffee Gift Baskets From Green Mountain Coffee Roasters

You will find a nice assortment of great coffee, cocoa, and tea gift baskets at Green Mountain Coffee Roasters.  I’ve tried a few of their coffees and I have yet to taste one that has disappointed.  They strive to purchase their coffee and teas direct from farmers who are Fair Trade certified, and practice organic and sustainable growing methods.  This produces better tasting coffee, and is much safer for the farmers themselves.

Brew A Better World Collection GMCR

I’ve also been a member of their Café Express program and I’ve found it to be an excellent way to get different coffees conveniently.  You sign up, get a free gift, and choose how often you want more coffee sent.  There is no obligation to join for a certain amount of time, and you can pick which coffees will be sent when.  They even send you a reminder to change your preferences before they ship it, so there’s no shady stuff going on there.  Not like those record or book clubs from back in the day that banked on you forgetting to cancel or not mailing that little card back.  No worries here, and you save $1 off every bag of coffee giving you even more incentive to sign up.  Try it for a month, try it for a year, or put it on hold, whatever you want to do it’s that flexible!

I’ve also found some great coffee related gift baskets at The Coffee Beanery!  They have a great selection of coffee that would be perfect for a lover of the bean!  Check out their site and you will also receive %15 off of your order when you use The Coffee Beanery coupon code of CB111!

That does it for my list of gifts for coffee lovers.  I hope that I’ve at least helped you to find the perfect gift, or perhaps YOU are the coffee lover and one of these items will now be on your list   Here’s another gift, leave a comment and you’ll receive an entry in the SpeakEasyCoffee’s free cofee contest ending in just a couple of days.  Don’t worry though, if you are from the future there is always a coffee contest going on here, so leave a comment on any post, become a facebook fan, click the ‘ReTweet’ button on any post, or sign up for the updates and you’ll get an entry for every time you do!  See you next week, have a good one!

One las thing I’d like to mention.  You may notice some links are blue in color and have a double underline.  These links are paid advertisements.  I have no idea about what sites they go to, so I’m not endorsing the businesses that they forward you to.  They may be awesome sites, I just don’t know.  Anyway, I get a few pennies every time that someone clicks one of these links and checks out the site they lead to. If you appreciate what I offer, then please take a moment and visit some of the sponsors of this site, be it the text links or the ones in the right column.  Thank you SOOOOOoooOo much for your support!