Coffee Lovers Gift Guide

This espresso machine has hands down changed my morning coffee routine for the better. It does have a bit of a hefty price tag, which I know is not in the realm of affordability for some people. However, I have not been to Starbucks since purchasing this machine and the Barista Express has a built in grinder that turns any dark roasted coffee beans into the perfect finely ground espresso ground coffee.

Its built in grinder dispenses into the portafilter and there is a tamp that's magnetically stored in the left side of the machine. The milk foaming wand took a little getting used to, but now I make the perfect morning cappuccinos and lattes.

I've since sold my Nespresso on Facebook Marketplace, but mostly because I don't have a ton of counter space to justify multiple coffee machines. The Nespresso Vertuo machine works with pods that make coffee or pods that make espresso. I loved making Cinnamon Sugar Lattes, Raspberry Mochas and Caramel Macchiatos with my Nespresso machine. My favorite espresso pods were the dark blue or purple colored ones for a stronger coffee flavor.

If you already have a coffee machine you love but no way to make fancy coffee drinks, may I suggest this milk frother? It can make hot or cold frothed milk and is the perfect little standalone appliance.

It's easy to use and makes hot or cold foam for your homemade coffee drinks. Press the button once for a hot foam and the button lights up red for a hot foam, hold it for 3 seconds and it lights up blue for a cold foam. Nespresso advises you to remove the "whisk" for a cold foam, but I find it makes a really nice fluffy foam with the whisk attached. If you have no more space on your counter top for another coffee machine, I suggest you get the milk frother. It'll make your coffee drinks infinitely better.

As much as I enjoyed the convenience of the single cup brewers, I didn't love what it meant for the environment or my wallet. Having a supply of pods on hand was always a struggle for me, and frankly, I found that I enjoyed the flavor of coffee from a pour over more. I passed my Keurig on to my mom and have been using the pour over method for awhile now. I find it makes a smoother cup of coffee that doesn't have that "burnt" taste to it like single cup brewers have. I have a clear plastic dripper like the one pictured above and use a reusable mesh stainless steel filter but also used the brown paper cone filters for awhile.

I chose a plastic cone primarily because I know I would bump a ceramic one and smash it to pieces.

This type of kettle is supposed to be used with pour over coffee. I do not own one because I have literally zero storage space left in my kitchen, but I think they are great and really pour the hot water out slowly like you need for a good cup of pour over coffee. I currently use a standard kettle and have to be very careful about pouring from the wide mouth spout.

If you're going to great lengths to have a delicious cup of coffee, you should definitely have a coffee grinder. I wasn't sure how good freshly roasted and ground beans were until I was able to taste for myself. My Breville Barista Express has a conical burr grinder built in to get super precise on the fineness of the espresso ground.

If you have any local roasters nearby, pick up a bag of freshly ground coffee and grind enough for a cup right before you brew. You'll never go back!

Mugs are the perfect gift for any coffee lover. There are so many shapes, styles and colors available now. You can never have too many coffee mugs!

These glass mugs make an appearance in my

For awhile I was using the oxo brand coffee tumbler with the plunger lid. It was great for keeping coffee hot and for preventing spills in case I left it somewhere and had to slam the brakes on my car. There was nothing terribly wrong with it, except it was getting a bit old and I felt that I could never clean it as well as I wanted to. This Contigo tumbler is stainless steel, keeps my coffee HOT for a lot longer than the oxo plunger tumbler and only lets you drink the coffee if you press the button on the outside. It also has a lock feature and a feature that exposes all the parts from the lid so that you can clean it more easily. They have so many colors to choose from, too!

These straws are perfect for iced coffees!

Although this one is more of a luxury item, since you technically don't need a fancy pitcher to make cold brew, this pitcher makes it super simple and cleanup is a breeze.

In full disclosure, I do not own a French Press, but they have always intrigued me. I hear it's a bit similar to the pour over method, but it looks a lot cooler and I'm sure it produces less waste than using the paper cone filters.

Over the years I upgraded to freshly roasted espresso beans from a local coffee spot, but before then, Illy in the little silver can made a really good double shot of espresso.