Gifts to buy the coffee lover in your life

We all know someone with a passion for coffee. They’re always picking up a fresh cup on the way to work, showing off their latest home espresso machine or inviting you to the new independent coffee house that’s just opened in the neighborhood.

But aside from another mug or bag of beans, you might be stuck for ideas for gifts for coffee lovers. Some have a passion for brewing at home, while others love to explore different types of coffee when they’re out and about. Discover inspiration to help you find the perfect gift for the caffeine-loving person in your life:

Gifts to treat the at-home coffee lover

Bring the coffee house experience home with modern coffee-making equipment and essential extras. They’ll love creating their own cozy environment in their kitchen to serve up barista-standard beverages. This type of gift is perfect for coffee-lovers who enjoy entertaining or simply waking up to a higher-level cup of Joe.

Whether they’ve already got a home coffee house setup or just starting out, these are a few gift ideas for coffee lovers at home:

• Sophisticated coffee machine – The heart of any coffee fan’s kitchen needs to have a quality machine, one capable of creating many different brews just like at your local Beans & Brews.
• Fancy mugs – A more affordable gift essential to the coffee house experience could be a set of beautiful coffee cups, from delicate espresso cups to large, bowl-like cappuccino mugs and tall glasses for iced lattes.
• Metal milk jugs – Like the ones baristas use, they add a decorative touch on the side but serve a practical purpose and coffee house feel, rather than pouring straight from the carton.
• Coffee-based artwork – Chalkboard, paintings of coffee cups and warm colors replicate the vibes of independent coffee houses.
• Fresh pastries – Everyone likes a little snack with their morning brew, a slice of cake or buttery croissant will be greatly appreciated.

Become a barista at home

Elevate the skills and knowledge of your coffee-mad friend by signing them up to a barista course. They may think they already know everything about their favorite beverage, but the professionals running these sessions across the country will teach them a thing or two.

There are live and online courses covering everything from latte art to brewing and green coffee – all about how the supply chain works from bean to cup. Whichever you think they’ll like best, at the end they should be able to make a professional brew and tell you all about it.

When you’re looking for educational gifts for coffee lovers there are plenty of books and courses to introduce many different varieties of coffee bean. Some of the favorite variants are ones they may already have heard of:

• Arabica – The most common type of coffee bean, with a sweet and delicate taste used in many blends.
• Robusta – A stronger flavor and higher caffeine content than Arabica beans, good for a rich brew.
• Liberica – Rarer to find but with a pleasant fruity and floral feel, perfect for your hipster coffee friends.
• Excelsa – A more exclusive bean, Excelsa has a distinct tart yet fruity flavor, good for both light and dark roasts.

Gifts to celebrate the responsible coffee lover

The journey a coffee bean makes from the ground to your cup is a long one, involving many people and processes along the way. Caring about and understanding how it reached your mug from earthly beginnings in South America, Africa or Asia is important and something many coffee lovers care about.

Certain gift ideas for coffee lovers can educate them on the topic or simply show that you understand and support their focus on finding and using only responsibly sourced beans and blends. There are many ethically and environmentally responsible coffee brands out there. To find one, look out for one or more of the following certifications on bags of beans and other coffee-related gifts:

• Fair Trade Certified – Ensures the farmers receive a minimum price-per-pound for their coffee beans.
• Rainforest Alliance – Growers must meet sustainable criteria including conserving forests and wildlife, reducing soil erosion and treating workers fairly.
• UTZ – Not coffee-specific, but aims to support farms that focus on preserving habitats, while improving water and pesticide use.
• Organic Certified – Guarantees the coffee is grown organically without the use of environmentally damaging pesticides.
• Direct Trade – They pay a premium 25% higher than Fair Trade certified coffee to promote ethical trading standards.

Look out for the locals

The big coffee chains are great for a convenient pick-me-up on the daily commute or when you’re somewhere new and don’t know where to go for the best brew in town. But supporting local independents offers something special. Any coffee aficionados you know will likely rave about their nearest one.

You’re guaranteed quality coffee as it’s the main selling point of any indie coffee house. Plus, there’s often a much larger choice, with greater freedom to bring in new and exciting blends rather than sticking to the company’s core range.

These are the things your coffee-mad friends will say, but local indies are also a boost to the community and economy. They’re a place to socialize in a charming environment, knowing your dollars are being reinvested locally. It’s a place for productivity – in many cases you’ll see people on their laptops, the bubbling chatter and sweet aromas helping them work.

Become a regular with the baristas and you can find out more about where your cup of the hot stuff comes from, mingle with likeminded coffee lovers and pick up some other perks.

Wake up and love the coffee

A cup of coffee is more than just the caffeine kick you need to get yourself out of bed in the morning. It’s a social occasion, a daily ritual and something that should be savored – whether at home or in a coffee house.

As such a diverse drink popular with different people, there are all sorts of fantastic gifts for coffee lovers out there that will be greatly appreciated. Simply meeting up with a friend you haven’t seen for ages at your nearest Peet’s Coffee and buying them a large latte may sound like a simple thing ­- but it shows you care.

For those who think of themselves as an at-home barista, where grinding beans in the morning is a daily pleasure and not a chore, get something that supports their ‘art’. A new grinder or interesting bag of beans they may not have tried before will go down a treat.

The morning coffee routine is a big part of many early and established romances too. Personalized couples’ mugs, trays or stirring spoons can make a wonderful wedding, anniversary or Valentine’s Day present.

Get great gift ideas for coffee lovers

Celebrate a birthday, anniversary or any other special occasion of the coffee lover in your life with the perfect gift. Whatever type of coffee drinker they are – whether their passion is for supporting their local indie or they have aspirations as a home brewer – find top inspiration with these gift ideas:

• Give a gift card – Find their favorite coffee house and send them a card they can spend there, or look for popular places near their work where they pick up their morning cup of coffee.
• Set up a coffee date – Plan a day together revolving around coffee. It could be a coffee house crawl or doing a coffee art course together.
• Sign up for a coffee subscription – Every month a different package filled with beans, snacks and other goodies will drop through their door.
• Personalize a travel mug – For the coffee lover who is always on the move, the personal touch should mean they’re less likely to lose it on the way to work.
• Purchase a pod holder – If they’re more of a quick coffee fan, a pod holder adds an organized and accessible touch to any kitchen.

Send coffee gift cards

Treat the coffee lover in your life to a gift card for their local coffee house, whether it’s somewhere like Water Street Coffee Joint or Beans & Brews. If they’re more of a home brewer, then consider a gift card for The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf allowing them to pick their own supplies.