7 Gifts For Coffee Lovers

Gift-giving season is once again upon us, and with it often comes the stress and confusion of trying to find the right present for your loved ones. Check out this list of gifts for coffee-lovers to help put those anxieties to ease.

1. Coffee Maker
   
   First and foremost, if your coffee-lover doesn’t have a homebrewer or if they’re looking to upgrade, this is a great place to start.
   
   From Chemex to Aeropress, there are tons of different types of lovely coffee brewers that fit a wide variety of skill levels and lifestyles.
   
   Where an Aeropress may be perfect for a outdoor adventurer and frequent camper due to its portable nature, a Chemex is a beautifully crafted glass pour-over brewer that is perfect for brewing multiple cups at once at home. If you’d like to learn more about different home-brew methods, check out our guide!
   
   
2. Burr Coffee Grinder
   
   While getting a good coffee maker is certainly an important step in making killer coffee at home, having a decent coffee grinder at home is essential. Nothing beats the intense flavors you’ll get from freshly ground beans.
   
   There are two main types of coffee grinders: blade grinders and burr grinders. While blade grinders, which use spinning blades (much like a blender) will get the job done, they tend to lack consistency and precision. These inconsistencies can easily ruin an otherwise great cup of coffee. We therefore recommend burr grinders over blade grinders.
   
   If you’re looking for a trustworthy and reliable burr grinder that doesn’t break the bank, we highly recommend checking out Baratza’s line of burr grinders, specifically the Encore, Vitruoso+, and Vario.
   
   Each of these models are currently available for purchase at the Ironclad café!
   
   
3. Kettle
   
   Kettles make wonderful presents for coffee lovers who have moved away from electric coffee makers such as drip machines and single-serve machines (i.e. Keurig). Having a way to quickly warm up water while prepping coffee helps to efficiently make fantastic coffee during those sleepy mornings.
   
   While many people love the Fellow Stagg kettles (some of which even have a built-in video game feature), there are tons of fantastic kettles out there that are sure to make any coffee-lover happy.
   
   There are many different types of kettles with differing specs and purposes. Here are a few specifications to look for:
   
   
   • Gooseneck spout: having a long, thin spout helps to control the pour to increase accuracy and precision, which is essential pour-over brewing methods.
     
     
   • Temperature controls: although it isn’t essential, having a temperature control on the kettle helps to ensure you are using water that isn’t too hot or too cold. Coffee science is intricate and complicated—even small differences in water temperature can immensely impact how the coffee is extracted.
     
     
   • Counterbalanced handle: While this is certainly not an essential spec, it’s quite helpful in increasing control over the pour.
     
     
   • Electric vs Stovetop: There are two main types of kettles—those that heat water electrically and those that are set on the stovetop. Although electric kettles tend to me more popular, for the coffee-making purposes, either one will do. It basically just boils down to personal preference.
     
     
4. Kitchen/Coffee Scale
   
   If you’ve ever made a cake (or any baked good) from scratch, you probably know that adding just a little too much flour can completely ruin a cake recipe. Likewise, not using the right among of coffee grinds can ruin a good cup of coffee.
   
   Coffee recipes are all about the coffee-to-water ratio. The most commonly used method of measuring this ratio is by using a scale to measure how much coffee and water you’re using in grams.
   
   If you’re searching for a good kitchen scale, we recommend the Acaia Pearl scale or any other water-resistant scale with a built-in timer.
   
   
5. Airtight Coffee Canister
   Avoiding stale coffee beans (which are best two weeks after roasting) is an incredibly important rule of thumb when making great coffee from home -- and one of the many reasons why we recommend buying local coffee over grocery store brands! While our bags of coffee have a built-in freshness seal, airtight coffee canisters can help prolong coffee’s freshness so you can avoid either using stale beans or wasting precious coffee.
   
   The Fellow Atmos Vacuum Canister helps to get the job done while serving as a stylish addition to your countertops or cabinets.
   
   
6. KRUVE Coffee Sifter
   
   
   For the most knowledgeable and experienced coffee connoisseurs, we recommend checking out the KRUVE Coffee Sifter. While some coffee grinders certainly outperform others, at least a few inconsistencies will always be present.
   
   That’s where the KRUVE Coffee Sifter comes in handy; it boasts multiple sifting chambers of various grind sizes to help sort out and dispose of the inconsistencies after grinding.
   
   
   
   
   
7. Locally Roasted Coffee Beans
   
   Coffee Pro-tip: Stay away from big-brand grocery store coffee beans.
   
   Not only are they old and stale (who even knows how long ago they were roasted?!), but they’re often unethically sourced and don't support your local economy.
   
   By buying from local coffee shops and roasters, you’re going to be supporting local small businesses while getting a better and likely more ethical coffee!
   
   At Ironclad, we offer ethical, directly traded (meaning we have a real relationship with the people who are producing the coffee beans you’re using!) beans roasted in RVA. Each bag of beans has the roast date stamped right on the label so you know you can keep track of your coffee’s freshness. If you want more information on our coffee offerings, check out our blog post!

BONUS: Know some loved ones who fancy themselves a visit to Ironclad? We have tons of merch available at our café including buttons, stickers, patches, t-shirts, mugs, gift cards, and more!