Holiday Gift Ideas for Coffee Drinkers

People all over the world like to start their day with a cup of coffee. If you have a friend who really enjoys coffee then there are a variety of great coffee items that can make excellent gifts. Here are the top gifts for coffee drinkers.

Coffee Bean Grinder

Coffee beans are typically much more flavorful when they are freshly ground. If you want to get the fullest best flavor from your coffee you should grind the beans for each pot right before you brew it. There are several types of grinders you can purchase to grind beans. A burr grinder is the best kind. Burr grinders are usually rather expensive, but will grind your beans perfectly for whatever type of coffee filter you plan on using. A burr grinder usually only requires the pres of a single button in order to operate it. Blade grinders are much less expensive, but much harder to use. In order to use a blade grinder you need to first have some understanding of how fine you want your coffee ground. With a blade grinder you load your beans in and grind until you reach your desired consistency.

French Press

French pressed coffee is much more flavorful than coffee brewed in a traditional coffee maker. A French press allows all the natural oils and flavors in the beans to be released into your coffee and gives you the absolute best flavor possible. There are a variety of different French presses on the market. Typically a French press is a glass carafe with a metal filter in the center. There are also thermal and stainless steel versions of the French press, and my personal favorite the French press thermos that can easily be taken on the go.

A Nice Traveler

When you travel with coffee you want to make sure your coffee stays warm the duration of your travels, and stays off you and your car. There are varieties of great travelers you can purchase that are pretty to look at and will keep coffee warm and off of your gift recipient. A traveler is one of those gifts that are great, even if you already have several. I like to take coffee to work but usually end up accidentally leaving my traveler at work, or forget to clean it before the next morning. It is always great to own a few travelers.

Whole Bean Coffee

If you are friends with a coffee drinker who gravitates towards pre-ground or grocery store coffee the consider purchasing them a bag of whole bean coffee. Whole bean coffee will give them a much fresher taste than pre ground coffee and can be a special treat when its something someone doesn't have often. You can usually get great whole bean coffee from your local independent coffee shop, or from a chain store like Starbucks.

Nice Coffee Mugs

Giving someone a regular coffee mug is kind of a cheesy gift, a way to get around that is to give someone a nice coffee mug such as one that typically comes with a matching saucer. You can turn it into an extra special gift by filling the mug with biscotti or specialty candies or chocolate covered espresso beans.

Coffee Shop Gift Cards

If your gift recipient really enjoys a good cup of brew then they'll enjoy it even more when it's for free. My father refuses to ever purchase coffee while he is out, but was very excited to receive a gift card to our local Starbucks. A coffee gift card allows your gift recipient to give themselves a special treat without having to spend any of their own money. With a gift card you can take your friend out for coffee without even being there.