Getting into coffee is a slippery slope. Just ask David — he didn’t drink coffee when we met, but then I woke up one morning to a kitchen full of coffee gear after my pal Katie sent me a bag of whole bean coffee for fun.
Even this was a far cry from my level of interest in brewing great coffee at home. One day I was grabbing whatever beans were on sale at Trader Joes, and a few weeks later, I was trying to figure out why strangers on Reddit had such strong opinions about grinders, bloom times, and whether your pour over kettle pours correctly.
If you’re shopping for someone who’s just starting to care about making better coffee, we’d skip the novelty mugs and gimmicky gadgets. These are the gifts we actually think will get used—and might even kick off a lifelong coffee hobby.
Hario V60 + Filters
If we could only recommend one inexpensive gift for someone getting into specialty coffee, it is a Hario V60.
It’s the brewer that introduced a lot of people (including us) to pour over coffee, and despite costing less than dinner for two, it’s capable of making phenomenal coffee. We actually prefer the inexpensive plastic version to the glass one because it’s lightweight, nearly impossible to break, and good enough at retaining heat. Send along our Hario V60 recipe as part of the gift, too.
- One of the best beginner pour-over brewers
- Costs little
- Durable enough for homes with small toddlers
Burr Hand Grinder
If they’re still using a blade grinder, this might be the biggest upgrade you can buy them.
Few upgrades make a bigger difference in cup quality than a burr grinder. While electric grinders are convenient, a quality hand grinder is often the most affordable way to get a consistent grind size, which translates directly into better-tasting coffee.
A decent burr grinder produces particles that are much more uniform (and a tastier resulting cup). A hand grinder takes a little elbow grease, but it’s also the cheapest way to get genuinely good grind quality. Upgrade to a Baratza Encore electric burr grinder if your budget allows.
- Much more consistent than blade grinders
- Affordable entry into quality grinding
- Helps improve every brewing method
Hario Coffee Scale
Choose the Hario Scale for someone who wants more consistency from every brew. It’s one of those gifts that isn’t particularly exciting to unwrap but ends up getting used every single day.
One of the biggest revelations for new coffee enthusiasts is that coffee is best measured by weight rather than volume/scoops. A scale helps remove guesswork and makes it easier to repeat a formula that works, making it one of the best gifts for beginner coffee lovers.
Add the built-in timer and suddenly following recipes becomes much easier.
- Built-in timer for pour-over brewing
- Improves consistency immediately
- Compact and easy to use
AeroPress
If someone wants consistently good coffee without learning a bunch of techniques, we’d hand them an AeroPress. The AeroPress is forgiving, fast, nearly impossible to break, and makes excellent coffee with very little fuss. That means you can worry less about your pouring technique and it still produces a yummy hot cuppa.
- Beginner-friendly and forgiving
- Compact enough for travel or even camping
- Easy cleanup in under a minute
Tamped Coffee Cards
Coffee gear is fun. Coffee trivia is fun too. These coffee cards are one of the coolest coffee-themed items for the coffee nerd who loves learning.
Tamped Coffee Cards turn coffee education into something approachable. They cover brewing, processing, origins, and coffee terminology, but it doesn’t feel like homework. I think they’d be an awesome addition to a road trip entertainment plan!
- Fun coffee facts and brewing knowledge
- Beautiful design
- Great stocking stuffer
Something to read
Choose a magazine subscription for someone who already has enough coffee gear – Standart Coffee and Cherry Bones are two great options.
Standart and Cherry Bones are two of our favorite coffee magazines because they go well beyond brewing guides. They tell stories about producers, cafés, roasting, travel, and the culture surrounding coffee.
- Learn about coffee beyond brewing
- Gorgeous photography
- A gift that keeps showing up
The World Atlas of Coffee
If magazines aren’t your jam, consider picking them up a copy of one of the best books about coffee we’ve found.
James Hoffmann’s The World Atlas of Coffee is probably the single book I would recommend to anyone getting serious about coffee. It’s informative without feeling intimidating, and covers everything from coffee origins and processing methods to brewing and tasting.
- One of the best beginner coffee books
- Useful as both a read and reference guide
- Explains coffee without overwhelming readers
Bodum Double-Wall Glass Coffee Mugs
Good coffee somehow feels a little fancier when you drink it from a nice glass that makes you happy (we’re all about mug vibes in our household).
These double-wall glasses make everything from pour overs to cappuccinos feel a little more special while keeping drinks warmer for longer. They’re completely unnecessary…which is kind of why they’re such a fun gift.
- Beautiful presentation
- Keeps drinks hot longer
- Great for entertaining
Gooseneck Kettle
We probably wouldn’t buy this as someone’s very first piece of coffee gear, but once they’ve started making pour overs regularly, a good gooseneck kettle is one of those upgrades that makes brewing easier every single morning.
A good gooseneck kettle gives you much more control over water flow than a standard kettle, making it easier to brew consistently. The OXO is one of our favorite options because the temperature controls are intuitive and the pouring experience feels natural from day one. Design-minded folks also flock to the Fellow Stagg EKG, though we find the performance to be worse.
- Precise pouring control
- Adjustable temperature settings
- Ideal for pour-over brewing
Klean Kanteen Travel Mug
Some people make incredible coffee…and then let it get cold. Boo.
Choose the Klean Kanteen for someone who never seems to finish their coffee at home.
A good travel mug gets used almost every day, whether that’s commuting to work, chasing kids around town, or heading out on a road trip. We’re partial to the Klean Kanteen TKWide because it has a handle, fits in the cupholder, and keeps coffee hot.
We’re also suckers for certain Owala coffee tumblers, too.
- Excellent heat retention
- Built to last
- A gift someone will actually use
Trade Coffee Subscription
One of the fastest ways to learn what you like is simply to drink more coffee. Choose this for someone who wants to expand their coffee repertoire.
A Trade subscription introduces drinkers to different roasters, origins, and roast styles without requiring them to spend hours researching what to buy next (ask me how I know about these roastery rabbit holes).
Those who receive a Trade coffee subscription gift will have the opportunity to discover new coffees they might never have picked for themselves.
- Personalized coffee recommendations
- Discover new roasters and origins
- Gift continues throughout the subscription
Shop Gifts For Someone Getting Into Coffee
The best gift depends less on someone’s budget and more on where they are in their coffee-nerdery-journey.
Someone brewing their first cup of pour over probably doesn’t need a $200 coffee scale. On the other hand, someone who’s already caught the coffee bug will probably appreciate a great grinder, a coffee subscription, or a book that helps them understand why different coffees taste the way they do.
