The Holiday season is finally upon us.
For many people, however, this means panicked searching for the perfect holiday gift. Though I might not be able to help procure the newest next-generation console or get you seats at the trendiest tasting counter in the city (especially with reduced capacity), we can definitely recommend some great gift options for the resident coffee lover in your home, regardless of where they are in their coffee journey.
For the beginner
When I began my journey to making real good coffee at home, my first major purchase was a French Press from the thrift shop in Hoboken, NJ. To this day, I use that French Press whenever I am craving an intense, full-bodied cup of coffee. French Pressing is a relatively low maintenance brew method that produces excellent-quality coffee. Outside of its use as a coffee maker, it's an excellent milk frother and there are even recipes for French Press bone broth.
Bodum's Eileen French Press is absolutely stunning and would look great in anyone's kitchen. You better be rolling video when they open this gift, because they're sure to be amazed.
For the environmentally conscious coffee drinker
Most coffee packaging is horribly wasteful. Think about it: you purchase a bag of coffee at your local roaster, you drink through the coffee, and then throw out the packaging. When we first began packaging coffee in 2014, we made a conscious effort to reduce waste and, rather than using bags for the majority of our consumer coffee, opted to use tins instead.
In addition to providing a more sturdy package and thus ensuring fresher coffee out of the gate, our tins are reusable. They're also gorgeous. (I mean, have you seen our seasonal tin designs?) In fact, we give customers $1.00 off if they bring their tins into our cafes to be refilled--regardless if they’re purchased in our cafes, through our local wholesale partners, or at the grocery store. Additionally, our tins make amazing planters. Take a look at some examples below!
For the coffee lover looking to take their home brewing to the next level.
Whether upgrading from buying pre-ground coffee or from a blade grinder, using a conical burr grinder is an exponential leap forward in brewing coffee at home. By producing equally-sized coffee grounds, the conical burr grinders allow for consistent, optimal extraction during brewing.
For the adventurer
What could be better than an easily packed, easily cleaned, piece of brewing equipment that doesn’t necessarily need the delicate pours of a Chemex for the adventurer in your home? The Aeropress can be packed into itself, is made of a durable plastic, and comes with its own measuring system etched onto the side of it. Because it uses pressure to force the brew through a filter, with slight modifications you’ll even be able to produce espresso on the go.
I don’t think there’s a more versatile brewing option out there or a better gift for someone who values versatility on the go.
Another great option for the person who’s constantly on the go is a Compass Coffee Klean Kanteen. The current model available holds a 16oz beverage and will keep your drink cool for up to 12 hours or hot up to 24 hours. There’s also a ring to attach the Klean Kanteen to either your rucksack or bag via a carabiner or clip.
For the survivalist or ‘prepper’ in your family
Even with a possible COVID vaccine on the horizon, it’s incredibly daunting to go outside. Our Survival Pack comes with enough coffee, simple syrup, and hand sanitizer to last a week or two (depending on how much they drink, of course!). If the gift recipient is a heavy coffee drinker, I would recommend looking at the Prepper Pack. Rather than the just single tin, single syrup, and single sanitizer in the Survival Pack, the Prepper Pack comes with a five pound bag, two bottles of syrup, and two containers of Simple Sanitizer--enough to hunker down for some time...or, you know, share.
Last minute stocking stuffer
Maybe you are completely ahead of the game and have already finished your Holiday shopping. Your LEGO Millennium Falcon, XBox Series X, and Playstation 5 are wrapped, safely under the tree. In my experience, picking out stocking stuffers is one of the hardest things to do--usually, it has to be something inexpensive, but definitely something that the recipient wants. Compass K-Cups and Espresso pods are the perfect stocking stuffer: they’re small and fit in a stocking, they’re relatively inexpensive, and opening the case means you’ll have 10 individual gifts you can either dump into one stocking or disperse across many.
If you're still stuck, we also have Gift Cards in store and amazing merchandise on our website, including t-shirts, Ebbet's Field Flat-Brimmed caps, and even super-cozy beanies which are perfect for those in colder climates.
