Gifts for the coffee obsessive: 10 things for a better cup
Fresh beans, a moka pot, a proper grinder. Ten gifts for the friend who weighs their coffee, from a 100 kr dripper to an espresso machine.
Sweden loves coffee, and every office seems to have one person who weighs their beans. In Italy we take espresso at the bar, standing up, in two sips. The coffee obsessive wants both worlds at home, and they are easy to buy for once you know what is missing.
These ten gifts run from a bag of beans to a splurge, with rough prices in kronor. Start with the grinder if you can. It matters more than the machine. And if you are unsure, beans are never wrong: a coffee lover always has room for one more bag.
The picks
Ten gifts for the coffee lover
- Fresh beans from a local roaster (about 100 to 150 kr for 250 g): Ask for whole beans roasted in the last week or two. Freshness changes the cup more than any gadget.
- A Hario V60 dripper (from about 100 kr): A simple cone for pour-over that makes a clean, bright cup from light roasts. The plastic one works as well as the ceramic.
- Two thick porcelain espresso cups (about 200 kr for two): Thick walls keep a small coffee hot. Warm them with hot water first, the way every bar in Italy does.
- A Bialetti Moka Express (about 300 to 400 kr): The eight-sided pot every Italian family owns. Strong, sweet coffee on the hob in minutes, and it lasts for years.
- A coffee scale with a timer (about 300 to 600 kr): Weighs to a tenth of a gram and times the brew at once, so a good cup can be repeated tomorrow.
- An AeroPress (about 400 kr): Forgiving, nearly unbreakable and quick to clean. It travels well, so good coffee comes along to the summer house.
- A gooseneck kettle (about 800 to 1,500 kr): The thin spout gives full control over a pour-over. The electric ones with a temperature dial are the most useful.
- A hand burr grinder (about 1,000 to 2,000 kr): An even grind is the real secret of good coffee. Grinding by hand in the quiet morning is a lovely ritual too.
- A coffee subscription: Beans from a roaster every month, a different origin each time. It keeps them curious, and they never run out.
- A home espresso machine (from about 6,000 kr): One with a proper steam wand for cappuccino at home. Give it with a good grinder, or the machine cannot do its job.
Something homemade
Coffee needs something sweet beside it. Make a batch of my Toblerone and caramelised white chocolate dipped nuts, finished with flaky salt, and pack them in a glass jar. Tie the jar to a bag of fresh beans with kitchen string and you have a complete gift.
For Christmas evening, add a card with my Kaffe Karlsson. It is the perfect cup after a long dinner.
Recipe: toblerone caramelised white chocolate dipped roasted nuts with flaky salt
Recipe: kaffe karlsson
Bella's tip: Never give pre-ground coffee to an obsessive. Whole beans in a valve bag, with the roast date written on it, show them you understand.
