Winter brings with it the much revered holiday season. From Secret Santas at the workplace to New Year's with friends and family, this is yet another reason for us to gift/get gifts. And coffee is a great gifting concept!
Several folks have been reaching out to me via Instagram asking for gifting suggestions. I have been following a process while recommending and have adopted a similar approach in the blog. There are 2 questions I ask:
1. Who are you buying this gift for?
There are 2 basic characteristics to understand about your giftee. First, they can be an instant coffee lover or an enthusiast of roasted coffee beans. And second, they prefer their coffee black or with milk and sugar.
2. What's your budget?
Coffee (beans/instant), equipment and accessories are great gifting ideas. Beans are relatively affordable whereas equipments and upgrades can burn a hole in your pocket. While there is less to go wrong with gifting a curated set of specialty coffee, when it comes to equipments, it's always better to get a sense of what they have/don't have before making a purchase.
Once you have a mental picture of your giftee may like, you can scan through the following curations. Here are my top picks for coffee gifting:
French Press starter kit for the black coffee enthusiast
If your giftee is someone who enjoys their coffee black, has been drinking instant coffee all this while and cribs about how expensive cafes are, then this is the perfect gift for them.
Buy from:
Blue Tokai - click here
Price - Rs 2299
Includes a Hario French Press and a 250gm pack coffee of your choice.
They also have a selection of gift boxes in their "Diwali Gifting" section.
Side note:
You can even buy a French Press from Amazon (InstaCuppa or Cafe JEI) and pair it with our coffee recommendations (see below) to create a much more personalised gift.
Pour Over starter kit for the specialty coffee enthusiast
This gift is supposed to be an upgrade. If your giftee is someone who has been drinking a french pressed coffee every morning and you feel like gifting them something that will completely change their approach towards coffee, this is the perfect gift. Pour over can be made using a conical equipment like a V60 or a Chemex. For ease of availability of filter papers, I'd recommend the Hario V60.
Buy from:
Blue Tokai - click here
Price - Rs 1999
Includes a clear pour over cone, 40 filter papers (size 02), a 600 ml glass server (without lid), a measuring scoop and a 250gm pack coffee of your choice.
They also have a selection of gift boxes in their "Diwali Gifting" section.
Side note:
You can even buy a V60 dripper (size 02) with V60 filter papers (size 02) from Blue Tokai and pair it with our coffee recommendations (see below) to create a much more personalised gift.
Coffee cocktails kit for the experimenter
This is a great gift for someone who loves to experiment with their drinks. The kit makes it easy to make those Black Russians and Cold Brew Tonics at home. Truly Dope.
Buy from:
Dope Coffee - click here
Price - Rs 1250
Includes 4 Svami drinks (Original Tonic, Grapefruit Tonic, 3CalTonic and Ginger Ale), 4 x 50 gm packs of Dope's Cryosphere Cold Brew Blend and a recipe booklet
Side note:
You can check for interesting deals on Cred.
Mokapot for the all-rounder
If they like both black coffees and milk based drinks, then the Mokapot is perfect. It makes stove-top espressos which are extremely versatile. The Bialetti Mokapot is also available in a variety of colors on Amazon, and if it fits your budget is highly recommended for gifting.
Buy from:
Amazon - click here
Price - Rs 4000+
Mokapot is available in stove-top, induction and electric variants
Side note:
It is recommended to invest in a Bialetti Mokapot and not the cheaper alternatives available in the market. Poor quality rubber gasket can lead to performance issues or accidents.
Instant coffee for the convenience seekers
Rage Coffee is my personal favorite when it comes to instant coffee. It is one of the closest to a freshly roasted coffee and available in a variety of flavours. Plus they have quite a few combos on their website which makes it ideal to find the right gift.
Buy from:
Rage Coffee - click here
Price - Rs 499+
9 flavour variants to choose from
Side note:
You can check for interesting deals on Cred.
Specialty coffee recommendations
These are my personal favorites when it comes to specialty coffees. I'd recommend the following coffees (not in any particular order):
Ratnagiri Estate Yeast Fermentation by Corridor Seven Coffee Roasters
A smooth tasting coffee that goes well as a pour over - buy here
Merthi Mountain by Curious Life Coffee Roasters
A vibrant yet versatile coffee that tastes brilliant as it ages - buy here
Fruits Bomb by Savorworks
Brilliant aromatics and flavours. Comes in a beautiful packaging - buy here
Ratnagiri Estate Lot 42 by Subko Coffee Roasters
Mighty complex coffee with exquisite tasting notes - buy here
These are my top picks for this gifting season. If you are planning to get an equipment upgrade, I would surely suggest pairing it with one of my specialty coffee recommendations. Feel free to reach out to me via Instagram if you need any further personalisation. Would be more than happy to help ;)
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