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Are you looking for the perfect present to perk up the coffee lover in your life?
While a personalized mug is always a sweet idea, there’s only so much cabinet space available for cute ceramics!
And, let’s face it, they probably already have one – or two – for every day of the week!
If you want to give your favorite coffee lover something really special for a birthday or at the holidays, you’ll love the following choices that we’ve hand-selected.
These five options represent a range of fun gift ideas, each with its own sentimental and practical value.
Small updates like the following suggestions are easy coffee hacks to give you and your loved ones the freshest and most flavorful experiences right at home.
Whether you want to purchase a single bottle of artisanal simple syrup, upgrade to a new burr grinder, or splurge on an espresso machine, you’re sure to find the perfect gift!
5 of the Best Gifts for Coffee Lovers
1. Burr Grinder
Brewing homemade coffee offers a beautiful start to the morning, but grinding your own beans first makes the day even brighter and fresher!
A high-quality grinder can make all the difference in freshness and flavor, regardless of the brewing method your gift recipient prefers.
Breville Smart Grinder Pro, Red Velvet Cake, available from Breville
Models with burr grinders in particular sit at the top of our list in terms of preference, and you’ll find one on many coffee geeks’ wish lists, because of their quality construction and consistent results.
Your favorite java nut will love opening a gift box with the Breville Smart Grinder Pro inside!
This appliance features stainless steel conical burrs that minimize the heat conducted by grinding, preserving the flavor and aroma of the beans.
It is 8.5 inches long, 6 inches wide, and 15.5 inches tall. The power cord is attached at the back of the base.
You can choose from many different colors for the base, including playfully food-themed options like Red Velvet Cake, Sea Salt, Oyster Shell, and Black Sesame.
The LCD screen clearly showcases the impressively vast range of grind settings – 60 in total! – as well as a precision electronic timer that can grind in 0.2-second increments, and the number of selected shots or cups.
The detachable clear plastic hopper fitted on top of the machine can hold up to 16 ounces of beans.
You can grind directly into an espresso portafilter, an airtight container, a filter basket, or a paper filter.
Breville Smart Grinder Pro, Stainless Steel, available from Sur la Table
Accessories include a grounds container with lid, a cleaning brush, and two portafilter cradles that can fit most sizes of espresso portafilters: small (50-54 millimeters) and large (58 millimeters).
Need more information about this specific model and all burr grinders in general? Check out our Burr Grinder Buying Guide.
But even a top-rated blade model will provide a big upgrade from pre-ground beans, like the Cuisinart Grind Central Coffee Grinder, available on Amazon.
Check color options, pricing, and customer reviews for the Breville Smart Grinder Pro now on Amazon. Purchase yours direct from Breville. Or find it in stainless steel at Sur la Table.
2. Milk Frother
If your intended giftee doesn’t have a full-service espresso machine with a milk steaming arm – and you don’t want to pay an arm and a leg for said espresso machine – a separate milk frother is a fun and far more affordable option to dress up everyday coffee, and it makes a lovely gift.
To get the most out of a milk frother, choose an electric appliance with multiple settings rather than a typical frothing wand.
Instant Milk Frother, available on Amazon
Enhance standard coffee by making cappuccinos, macchiatos, and more with perfectly frothy milk. You’ll love this Instant Milk Frother from the makers of Instant Pot.
The detachable, sleek black, electric pitcher connects to a black disc base, which is home to the power cord.
Including the base, this frother is 4.7 inches wide and 8.8 inches tall, weighs 1.7 pounds, and has a capacity of 10 ounces. This compact appliance won’t take up a lot of space on the countertop, and it’s also easy to store in a cabinet or closet.
The pitcher features a long handle and spout for controlled pouring, and the exterior stays cool to the touch, even immediately after warming and frothing milk.
There are four easy-to-use programs any barista would be envious of: cold foam for iced lattes, light warm foam for lattes, thick warm foam for cappuccinos, and hot flat milk for coffee, tea, or hot chocolate.
Not that everyone will find this entertaining, but for the selected few – ourselves included! – the lid on top of the pitcher is clear, so you can watch your milk swirl to foamy perfection within seconds.
The frothing and warming programs are easy to use. Select, start, or cancel the chosen program via the two-button control system located on the front of the pitcher.
Review all the details for this frother now on Amazon.
3. Flavored Syrups
Are you friends with someone with a sweet tooth who loves, loves, loves flavored coffee or specialty drinks?
Order some high-quality syrups so they can experiment with creating delightfully flavored beverages at home! The Sonoma Syrup Company is a business based in the United States that creates all-natural syrups with no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.
Sonoma Syrup Company Classic Simple Syrup, available from Sur La Table
An essential for any coffee-drinking household is the Sonoma Syrup Company’s 12.7-ounce Classic Simple Syrup, available from Sur La Table.
Made with pure cane sugar, water, and just a hint of vanilla extract, it’s the most fundamental option with subtle aromatics and sweetness that seamlessly blend with many styles of beverages, from cold brew to cocktails.
For the vanilla bean enthusiast, Sonoma Syrup Company’s 12.7-ounce Vanilla Bean Infused Simple Syrup will make the sweetest gift!
Speckled with seeds, the syrup is infused with Madagascar Bourbon and Tahitian vanilla. This choice is not only delicious mixed into a warm vanilla bean latte, but also drizzled on top of ice cream and waffles.
Sonoma Syrup Company Lavender Infused Simple Syrup, available from Sur La Table
Looking for something a little different? Floral and lovely, Sonoma Syrup Company’s 12.7-ounce Lavender Infused Simple Syrup combines both flavor and fragrance to create unique beverages with a twist.
Choose one, two, or all of them on Sur La Table now.
4. Whole Bean Coffee
If you have friends or family members interested in exploring new coffee bean varieties, gift them with a few small packages of single-origin whole beans from different regions.
Vermont Coffee Company Caribbean Bean Collection, available from Stonewall Kitchen
Start the journey with this tasty Caribbean Bean Collection from the Vermont Coffee Company.
A perfect lineup of four certified organic single-region blends from the Caribbean, each bag weighs one pound.
You can choose the entire collection, or you can select individual varieties for purchase a la carte.
Here’s a brief description of each blend:
- UNO: light roast with hints of lemon
- DOS: medium roast with caramel notes
- TRES: medium-dark roast with toasty sweet notes
- CUATRO: dark roast with hints of chocolate
Peruse the collection and read customer reviews on Stonewall Kitchen.
5. Espresso Maker
Ready to treat that special someone with a very special purchase?
A home espresso machine is a monumental gift at the holidays or other times of year, one that will keep your favorite coffee and espresso lover in good spirits all year long!
And you will also benefit from this splurge if you live in the same household… or visit all the time…
Smeg Semi-Automatic Espresso Maker, Cream, available on Wayfair
Just make sure it provides an automation level and size they are comfortable with, in their preferred design.
True coffee lovers probably have a lot of opinions when it comes to this category of appliance – and we can assume with 100% certainty that they more than likely have done their own thorough research.
Here’s a helpful hint: with an important purchase like this, just ask!
And if you need some expert guidance to decide which espresso machine is right, check out our espresso machine buying guide.
Which one is our personal favorite for gifting? If you need an idea that offers both flair and function, let us point you in the direction of Smeg, a brand of retro 1950s-style kitchen appliances.
Smeg’s Semi-Automatic Espresso Maker brews single or double shots of espresso, and features a user-friendly control panel with three backlit buttons to select your drink and adjust to your preferred settings.
It is currently available in sleek neutral colors like cream or black, as well as more vibrant colors like pastel blue or red.
A removable stainless steel tray means this model can also accommodate tall glasses or mugs when brewing. And there’s a convenient function available to customize the length of time for the liquid flow to brew the perfect amount of espresso.
Smeg Semi-Automatic Espresso Maker, Black, available on Wayfair
It features a Thermoblock heating system and pressure up to 15 bars. And it can hold 33.8 fluid ounces when you fill it with water.
There is also an attached frother that can prepare warm and thick foamed milk for cappuccinos, caffé lattes, and more.
The appliance is 12.99 inches in height and 5.86 inches wide, and it weighs 10.36 pounds. It’s actually a perfectly compact size for those with limited counter space!
Review current prices and check out the available colors on Wayfair now.
A Caffeinated Celebration
Set the perfect scene in the morning for your coffee lover…
Imagine how delighted they’ll be to wake up each day, excited to make a perfect cup with their new espresso maker, brewed with freshly ground single-region whole beans, perhaps with a splash or two of vanilla bean syrup, and topped with beautifully whipped milk foam!
Wait… wouldn’t we all love that kind of start to the day?
What coffee-related gifts are you thinking of asking for – or giving yourself! – this year? We’re excited for the upcoming exchange of ideas and gifts. Please feel free to leave a comment below.
For more coffee-related gift ideas that will fill your kitchen with new and shiny gadgets and you with loads of energy, consider any of these fun and functional appliances next:
© Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published by Mike Quinn on December 1, 2014. Last updated on December 8, 2022. Uncredited photos: Shutterstock. Product photos via: Breville, Amazon, Sur La Table, Stonewall Kitchen, and Wayfair.
About Nikki Cervone
Nikki Cervone is an ACS Certified Cheese Professional and cheesemonger living in Pittsburgh. Nikki holds an AAS in baking/pastry from Westmoreland County Community College, a BA in Communications from Duquesne University, and an MLA in Gastronomy from Boston University. When she's not nibbling on her favorite cheeses or testing a batch of cupcakes, Nikki enjoys a healthy dose of yoga, wine, hiking, singing in the shower, and chocolate. Lots of chocolate.
I’m in the market for a treat, so I wanted to see if there was something here I could get for myself. Reading this reminded me that I actually have a milk frother here somewhere. I will need to look for that and my burr grinder, since I’ve gotten in the habit of just using pre-ground coffee beans in my drip machine, without frothed milk. I used to always have 2-3 flavored syrups in the house, and currently have none, so apparently it’s time for a trip to World Market, to pick some up.
As a coffee fanatic, I’m real interested in the idea of receiving a new blend or single origin each month. I’ve never heard of a coffee-of-the-month club but I can see it will be an enriching gift. Not only will I be able to have fun experimenting with new flavors, but I’ll increase my depth in knowledge about beans as I learn about each new place.
Hey, Mike, I’m just going to go ahead and say it. After reading your bio, I’m quite envious of your tasting experiences of one of my favorite things.
These sound like some great ideas for gifting. I know I love the grinder that my husband bought for me. I’ve been thinking about giving one to someone I know who likes coffees almost as much as I do. I think I’ll make up a pretty gift basket and place one inside. Great write up.
Thank you for the ideas, my girlfriend is a coffee lover and she has most of these things, but I haven’t thought of looking into rare exotic roasts. I’ve heard good things from certain African countries, types of beans you can find only in small cafes.
There are small batch roasters as well, aside from the cafes. I’ve found some that had exquisite offerings. My problem is that I like them too much and then not being able to choose between them. I’m sure you can find something perfect for your girlfriend (just don’t overwhelm her with too many to try at once and keep in mind that they are best at their freshest).
I’m sure she will appreciate the gesture. I love it when my husband buys stuff like this for me.
One of my favorite things to get as a gift (and give) is different flavored and brands of coffee. Especially varieties from other places. My friend and I always bring each other a selection of beans from different cities or places when we travel. It’s such a fun idea and a product that never goes to waste!
Good ideas. The coffee of the month club might be a nice idea for my husband, but then again I think he likes picking out the beans himself. He’s been looking at some travel French presses/infusers to use on the go. I’m thinking that will be our next purchase.
At first I thought you were crazy, you can’t buy beans for a coffee lover because they will be stale by the time they get to them.
But a subscription or having them shipped to the person nice a fresh? Brilliant! Plus it’s something I can afford.
Hi Mike! Thanks for the great gift suggestions. I have several friends that absolutely love coffee and these gifts had never even crossed my mind. The best part of these gift suggestions is that you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to acquire them. I’m personally looking forward to purchasing the milk frother and the flavored syrups. Those 2 new additions will make drinking my morning coffee, a lot more special.
I love and need all these suggestions. I think everything on this list, if not already owned by coffee lovers and drinkers, would be perfect. Especially numbers 2 and 5. I am looking forward to some Haitian coffee. I seen it on a show, I forgot the name of it, but the guy travels all over to get some of the best beans from different countries.
I applaud the espresso maker! I would love one, but never manage to get it. Sigh. I think that a bunch of rare and delicious syrups is a great gift idea, especially on a tight budget. I also think that a cute cup or mug is also a perfect gift, especially a personalized one, or related to someone’s favorite book or film series.
Oh gosh, I want to get all of these things for myself! My aunt swears by her frother… for some reason it truly does make the drink more drinkable. I think the espresso machine is a great idea for a gift because it would really diversify your options in the morning. One day, you make a delicious exotic pour over, the next you can make an americano or latte with the same blend! I think I’ll get one of those for my brother, who loves a good cup o’ jo. Thanks, Mike!
Sigh. I confess… I am an over the top coffee lover. I must drink approximately 3-4 cups a day. From espresso to even instant, I just can’t have one and it’s not only me…my husband also enjoys his brewed beverages.
This is a great list of ideas, especially the Club subscription -um where have I been and why did I not know about this sooner? If someone gifted me this I think I would have to add them to will…maybe 😉
My husband has been bugging me for an espresso machine over the last year (we have the stove top espresso percolator). I may just have to bite the bullet and gift him an a top of the line model and add in a monthly delivery service (more for me) 🙂
Thanks Mike for these gift ideas.
I love the list, and as a coffee lover myself I could use any and all of these. That said, though, I am sitting here using the best gift I have ever gotten….a thermos that stays closed and can last the test of time. I have gone through so many of these things, fault design after faulty design. I got one from a coworker after my last one broke, though, and this is the one. Fingers crossed of course, but all good so far.